Akira Nishimura On What Ken Kawauchi Leaving Suzuki For HRC Means For Honda

By Akira Nishimura | Sun, 05/02/2023 - 15:13

The rumors of former Suzuki boss Ken Kawauchi moving to Honda raised many eyebrows in the MotoGP paddock. Engineers switching factories may be commonplace for European manufacturers, but it is almost unheard of, and unthinkable for Japanese factories. As Japan's leading MotoGP journalist, Akira Nishimura his his insight into what the news that Kawauchi is moving to HRC for the 2023 season means.

Ken Kawauchi, Suzuki's long-time technical boss, will become HRC's new technical manager for the 2023 season following the Hamamatsu company's withdrawal from MotoGP. Below is my brief insight into this bombshell news.

It was January 10 when I first heard about Kawauchi-san’ joining HRC. I was chatting with a fellow European journalist by text when the subject came up. I understood it was likely to happen, because I remembered a casual exchange with Kawauchi-san during our season review interview last December.

After the interview, I stopped the recorder, and we left the interview room. Then, I joked to him, “why don’t you move to, say, KTM, after your company’s withdrawal from MotoGP? I believe they will hire you with a very high salary.”

He laughed and said, “Sounds good,” and continued, “But you know, they hire you quickly, and fire you quickly!!"

　Before I left there, Kawauchi-san added, “Thank you very much for coming to Hamamatsu. See you next year.” I didn’t know what seeing next year meant but immediately felt that it was just overthinking, so I replied to him saying see you next year and drove back to Tokyo.

Anyway, it was just an informal chat.

Then, the new year came with the “credible rumor” of Ken Kawauchi’s joining to the HRC MotoGP project as a new technical manager. Eventually, the official MotoGP website reported that Repsol Honda team manager Alberto Puig had confirmed it.

Since former Suzuki riders Joan Mir and Alex Rins will ride for Honda from the 2023 season, it is a logical conclusion that Kawauchi-san, who had been supporting them from the technical side, will also move to Honda to provide them with technical help as he used to provide. However, as of December 22, I could not predict he would take up a new position in HRC, because I was concerned that a Japanese company worker moving to their competitor would be very unlikely, especially when it comes to MotoGP.

2023
MotoGP
Honda
Suzuki
Ducati Corse
CormacGP
Niki Kovacs

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Comments

Very insightful article.

I wonder what would happen when Honda continues to struggle in 2023. But as I’m convinced Marc will be at full fitness again, he’ll make up for the bike’s deficits and things will appear better than they are.

David, a few months back one of the reliable Spanish(?) journalists tweeted something vague about a big shakeup in the HRC garage. If you remember that tweet, was it about this?  Or is something else still brewing?  Thanks!

Great article to kick off the 'new year' of MM with.  An intriguing move, I wonder whether the result will be a bike with the power of a Honda and the handling of a Suzuki, or will Kawauchi-san and his different way of looking at things not gel with the rest of the HRC clan?  I hope very much for the former, as racing without Honda (love em or hate em) will not be the same.

I'm so glad for Kawauchi though, it was so sad reading his comments when the team was shutting down and how he would keep supporting Suzuki and anyone racing a Suzuki in other fields.  I got visions of him trudging up and down the pit lane of Wakefield park in July's horizontal sleet, offering to check the tyre pressures of clubbies on battered GSXR750's...

But clearly Suzuki has turned their back on all forms of racing (perhaps MCs altogether?) so there was literally nothing there for him.  It's the HRC side which is the more fascinating, as he's not just come in as some minor technical consultant role, he's coming in as technical director!!  Imagine the lineup of senior HRC staff who have just been leapfrogged.  HRC have recently had their hubris severely reigned in - no wins and LAST in the constructors championship!  Unthinkable.  Looks like their corporate dogma is out the window and they're going to do anything they need to to win again.  Good signs for us fans.

Great reading. The conflict of moving from one lifetime organisation to a new one must be huge for someone in his position. I’m really looking forward to see how his influence impacts on team culture and race output. So are we going to see a Hondaki? Or will it be a Suzuka? Either way it’s going to be interesting!!