Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) has decided that its representative director and president will change on 1 January 2027. The current president, Watanabe Koji (渡辺 康治), will retire, and Yasuda Keiichi (安田 啓一) is scheduled to newly assume the position.
Honda Racing Corporation announced that, following a resolution by its board of directors, its representative director and president will change on 1 January 2027. The current officeholder, Watanabe Koji (渡辺 康治), will retire on that date. Yasuda Keiichi (安田 啓一), currently the representative director and executive vice president, will newly assume the position of representative director and president.
As background to the change, Watanabe (渡辺 康治) oversaw motorsports operations and communications in 2020 as executive officer, head of the Brand Communications Division and general manager of the Public Relations Department, and became president of HRC in 2022. Over the past six years, he has led Honda's motorsports activities and promoted the development of its global brand. The new management structure is intended to strengthen management in response to a period of global transformation and accelerate the development of next-generation businesses.
The new president, Yasuda Keiichi (安田 啓一), has led talent strategy and human-capital management as head of Honda's human resources division. He has a long career in human resources, including experience as president of a local subsidiary for Honda's motorcycle business, and became HRC's representative director and executive vice president in April. His promotion is positioned as an opportunity to apply this experience.
Regarding the retirement of Watanabe (渡辺 康治) and the appointment of Yasuda (安田 啓一), HRC has stated that, taking motorsports seasonality into account, it will enter the 2027 season under the new management structure from the first race. Both executives indicated in their comments that they aim to strengthen the organisation and achieve victories.