Honda Team Asia proudly confirms the arrival of two rising stars for the 2026 Moto3 World Championship: Veda Ega Pratama from Indonesia and Zen Mitani from Japan. Both riders have grown under the Honda and Idemitsu development programs since their early racing years, and now take the next step in their careers as part of the team’s mission to nurture future world-class Asian talent.
Pratama, the 2023 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Champion, and Mitani, the 2024 Champion, have both demonstrated their skill and maturity on international stages. During 2025, they competed in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the FIM* JuniorGP World Championship with the Junior Talent Team — following the same development path as former Honda Team Asia riders and current MotoGP Stars Ai Ogura or Somkiat Chantra. Their promotion represents the new generation of Honda Team Asia: ambitious, talented, and determined to fight among the best in the world.
New energy, same Honda Team Asia spirit, with Pratama and Mitani joining the ranks, Honda Team Asia continues to lead the way in developing the next generation of Asian riders ready to compete at world level. The team remains committed to combining strong results with a long-term vision: inspiring millions of young riders across Asia to dream big and believe that world championship success is within reach.
*FIM: Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
Hiroshi Aoyama – Team Manager
“First of all, I would like to say thanks to Idemitsu and all our sponsors. We are very happy to continue together for the next season. Today we announce our Moto3 line-up for 2026 — Veda Pratama and Zen Mitani. For both of them, it will be their first year in the World Championship, but they already showed good speed in the JuniorGP World Championship and the Red Bull Rookies Cup. Veda was Asia Talent Cup Champion in 2023 and Zen in 2024, so we believe they are ready to be competitive at world level and will show strong performance in Moto3 next year.
As we can see, these riders are very young and have a lot of potential to grow. As a team, we want to give them our best support possible. I think we have a good structure with Idemitsu, the Asia Talent Cup, and the Junior Talent Team in Spain. I would like to thank everyone involved for maintaining this pathway — it’s very important for us. Now, we are really looking forward to starting the new season with them.”
Veda Ega Pratama – Honda Team Asia
“I’m really, really happy and proud that I will be racing in the Moto3 World Championship in 2026 with Honda Team Asia. This is very special for me because it’s been my dream since I was a kid to become a world championship rider.
I know it will be a big challenge because I’ll compete with the best riders in the world, but I’m ready to work hard and learn as much as I can. I want to adapt quickly to the new category, get to know the team, and start working together. I can’t wait to start this new chapter.”
Zen Mitani – Honda Team Asia
“I’m so happy to join Honda Team Asia because this team has been my dream since I was around five years old. I don’t know how things will go in the Moto3 World Championship, but I will try to enjoy every race and every moment.
I really want to follow the steps of Taiyo Furusato — he’s doing very well. The win in Malaysia made me very emotional and motivated me further to do my best for this team. I´ll do everything I can to learn and grow throughout the season. Thank you so much for this opportunity.”
