Honda's response to Ken Roczen's statement
The news hit like a bomb last week. Ken Roczen and HRC Honda have not signed an agreement for 2023. Honda made an offer for the AMA Supercross and Nationals, but the German wanted to participate in the new Supercross World Championship.
Before Roczen's statement, there was already a post on social media in which he showed a broken chain guide from a Honda. Such things rarely, if ever, see the light of day and are certainly not posted by the rider himself. In any case, there has clearly been some noise in the relationship between the two parties since Roczen's announcement to participate in the new WSX competition.
It also seems that the AMA and the FIM are now diametrically opposed to each other. The FIM has joined the WSX competition organized by SX Global. Roczen will therefore participate in the three races of the WSX and also in the Red Bull Straight Rhythm. Honda released a statement a few days ago about the departure of Ken Roczen.
Brandon Wilson, American Honda Manager of Sports & Experiential: "We genuinely enjoy working with Ken and have enjoyed having him on our team for the past six years. We have great respect for the speed and talent he regularly shows on the track, and even more for the heart and dedication he has shown in his return after serious setbacks. In light of the recent comments, we felt it necessary to clarify a few points. We were keen to continue with Ken in 2023, and we recently offered him a contract extension. That offer was never rescinded, but was rejected by Ken and his team. It is true that the offer included the condition that Ken would not compete in a series that has positioned itself as a direct competitor to our Supercross and Motocross partners. We believe it is important to support our racing partners and treat all our riders equally. That said, our regard and appreciation for Ken are as high as ever, and they will not be changed by the fact that our priorities on this matter happen to not align."
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