Source: Team HRC.

Honda president Takanobu Ito has announced that the Japanese manufacturer is further increasing its support in the FIM Motocross World Championship.

The newly renamed Team HRC reflects the increased role of the factory in the championship’s premier MXGP category, and is the natural culmination of an increasing Honda presence in the sport over the last three years.

“The 2014 season is an important milestone for Honda in the Motocross World Championship with the support of Honda Racing Corporation,” said Team HRC general manager Roger Harvey.

“Honda has a long history in Motocross with the Honda CRF, including multiple world 125, 250 and 500 titles throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and after more and more support over the last three years, the next logical step was for a full factory presence again with Team HRC.”

This is the latest chapter in a long and successful history in World Motocross, in which Honda have sealed a raft of 125, 250 and 500 MX world titles. It’s also a new chapter for HRC, which most recently sealed the FIM MotoGP World Championship title with the Repsol Honda Team last season.

The team retains last year’s rider line-up of Max Nagl and Evgeny Bobryshev, who will compete aboard works Honda CRF450RW machines.

Nagl and Bobryshev were present for the president’s address in Tokyo, appearing alongside the likes of other works Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez (MotoGP), Joan Barreda (Dakar) and Honda’s drivers from the IndyCar Series and the World Touring Car Championship.

The team has been testing in Sardinia in January and competed in the opening round of the International Italian Motocross Series to support their preparations for the start of the GP season at Qatar on 1 March.