As the economic slump hit motorcycle manufacturers around the world, slower sales led to reduced production. Manufacturers also considered and implemented a wide range of cost-cutting measures including sponsorship and participation in performance power sports.

While the news late last year and early into 2009 was peppered with motorcycle manufacturers withdrawing sponsorship from different racing teams across a myriad of sports, a recently announced agreement could change the trend for racing teams.

HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) reached a new agreement with Repsol to continue as the title sponsor of the factory Honda Team in MotoGP.

The new deal for the 2010 season cements one of the strongest and longest running partnerships in motor sport - a collaboration which began in 1995 and has brought 9 World Championships, 98 race victories and has made Repsol Honda race machines instantly recognizable to fans across the globe.

"I am very pleased that Repsol and HRC will once again be joining forces for the 2010 season," HRC President, Tetsuo Suzuki said,"In the last 15 years we have achieved many great accomplishments in the world's premier motorcycle racing series by fighting together with Repsol as our trusted and reliable partner."

"In recent times, we have missed out on the goal we always set ourselves: winning the World Championship. However, next season, the Repsol Honda Team will fight to retake the World title with renewed energy and total determination," he promised.

Many feel with Repsol on board once again as a highly-valued partner, the factory Honda team retains an immensely strong platform from which to contest the MotoGP World Championship. Dani Pedrosa from Spain and Italian Andrea Dovizioso will form the talented rider line-up for a second successive year.

Repsol is the official competition fuel supplier for the Repsol Honda Team, thanks to its development of specific fuel produced in the Repsol Technological Center.

"We are very pleased to announce the extension of our successful relationship with HRC, which has seen us together for 15 years and allowed us to reach close to one hundred victories in the premier class," Begona Elices, Repsol Corporate Director of Communication and Head of Chairman's Office said, "We hope that 2010 will be the year of our tenth World Championship title and we look forward to that with full confidence in our two exceptional riders, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso."

And Respol feel they get more than championship titles from the HRC racing team.

"This connection with top-level competition is very good from a technological point of view, Elices explains, "The partnership with Honda drives us to investigate and develop the most advanced fuels and lubricants at our Repsol Technological Centre (CTR). These products transfer from the circuits to our petrol stations and this creates a very strong relationship between our brand and our valued customers, which would not happen without this sponsoring agreement."