Honda Racing Corporation Appoints Keiichi Yasuda as President and CEO Ahead of 2027 Season

Honda Racing Corporation has announced a leadership succession, with Keiichi Yasuda set to replace Koji Watanabe as president and chief executive officer effective January 1, 2027.

Watanabe, who has successfully steered Honda Racing Corporation since 2022, will retire following a tenure defined by the structural integration of Honda’s motorcycle and automobile racing operations alongside preparations for the manufacturer’s upcoming Formula 1 return.

The leadership transition has been deliberately scheduled for January rather than the traditional April Japanese corporate timetable to align directly with the commencement of the 2027 global motorsport season.

During his presidency, Watanabe played a pivotal role in expanding Honda Racing Corporation’s international footprint by reorganising Honda Performance Development in the United States into Honda Racing Corporation US, establishing Honda UK, and building Honda Racing Corporation’s global brand equity.

Reflecting on his achievements, outgoing president, Watanabe, said: “Since then, we decided on our return to F1, expanded our global motorsport structure by reorganising Honda Performance Development in the U.S. into Honda Racing Corporation US and establishing Honda Racing Corporation UK, and worked on building Honda Racing Corporation’s global brand.”

“For the remaining three months of my presidency, I will continue to do my utmost, aiming for victory until the very end,” he said.

Incoming president, Yasuda, brings extensive international management and human resources expertise to the role, having previously served as president of overseas local entities and head of Honda’s human resources unit before being appointed Honda Racing Corporation executive vice president and representative director in April.

Outlining his vision for the organisation, Yasuda, emphasised the importance of sovereign talent investment and structural continuity.

“I consider it my mission to firmly inherit the solid foundation built by Watanabe.”

“Leveraging my management experience as president of overseas local entities and my background in HR, I will focus on investing in people and strengthening our organization toward victory,” Yasuda said.

The planned management rotation arrives as Honda scales its international racing infrastructure across Japan, North America, and Britain to support its high-performance motorsport strategy.

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