Taiyo Furusato
| Taiyo Furusato | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Furusato at the 2024 Malaysian Grand Prix | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Japanese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 July 2005 Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Idemitsu Honda Team Asia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Taiyo Furusato (Japanese: 古里 太陽, Hepburn: Furusato Taiyō; born 12 July 2005) is a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle racer who competes for Honda Team Asia in the Moto2 World Championship. He is the 2021 Asia Talent Cup champion.
Career
Early career
Furusato was born in Kanoya, Japan.[1] He performed well in national junior categories and was selected to compete in the 2020 Asia Talent Cup season.[2] He finished second in his debut race, but the championship was cancelled after just one round in Qatar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
The cup returned for the 2021 season in which Furusato won every round on the calendar, and consequently the championship. A feat that, as of now, no other rider has been able to replicate.[4][5]
That same year, Furusato was given a mid-season opportunity to replace an injured rider in the 2021 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. He went on to win his debut race in Mugello, his first time riding a KTM bike and competing on that track.[6] He finished the season in 11th place. These results granted him a seat in the 2022 Moto3 World Championship with HRC's Honda Team Asia, where he was partnered with Mario Aji.[7]
Moto3 World Championship
Honda Team Asia (2022–2025)
Furusato had a difficult start to the World Championship after suffering a foot injury during pre-season testing in Jerez, which made him sit out the first two rounds in Qatar and Indonesia.[8] He struggled in his debut season, scoring points only in his home race at Motegi, where he finished in 14th place.[9]
In 2023, Furusato progressed positively, consistently scoring points in the second half of the season, with several top-10 finishes, including a maiden podium for his standout second-place finish in Thailand.[10] He ended the season in 16th place in the championship standings.[11]
Furusato's 2024 Moto3 season began with a podium finish in Qatar, narrowly trailing David Alonso and Daniel Holgado in a tight battle to the line.[12] Furusato clinched two more podiums during the season, both second-place finishes in Germany and Malaysia, respectively.[13][14] He finished tenth in the final standings and was confirmed to remain in Moto3 for a fourth season, alongside Tatchakorn Buasri.[15]
Moto2 World Championship
Honda Team Asia (2026)
In October 2025, Honda announced Furusato will be stepping up to the 2026 Moto2 World Championship, alongside Mario Aji, after four full-seasons in the lightweight class.[16]
Career statistics
Asia Talent Cup
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Pos | Pts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | ||||
| 2021 | Honda | QAT 1 |
QAT 1 |
DOH 1 |
DOH 1 |
INA 1 |
INA 1 |
MAN 1 |
MAN C |
1st | 175 |
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pos | Pts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | ||||
| 2021 | KTM | POR | POR | SPA | SPA | MUG 1 |
MUG 14 |
GER Ret |
GER Ret |
RBR 10 |
RBR 8 |
RBR 5 |
RBR 4 |
ARA 7 |
ARA Ret |
11th | 74 |
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
By season
| Season | Class | Motorcycle | Team | Race | Win | Podium | Pole | FLap | Pts | Plcd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Moto3 | Honda | Honda Team Asia | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27th |
| 2023 | Moto3 | Honda | Honda Team Asia | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 16th |
| 2024 | Moto3 | Honda | Honda Team Asia | 19 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 137 | 10th |
| 2025 | Moto3 | Honda | Honda Team Asia | 22 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 172 | 8th |
| 2026 | Moto3 | Honda | Idemitsu Honda Team Asia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 20th* |
| Total | 81 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 374 | ||||
* Season still in progress.
By class
| Class | Seasons | 1st GP | 1st pod | 1st win | Race | Win | Podiums | Pole | FLap | Pts | WChmp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moto3 | 2022–2025 | 2022 Argentina | 2023 Thailand | 2025 Malaysian | 79 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 374 | 0 |
| Moto2 | 2026–present | 2026 Thailand | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2022–present | 81 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 374 | 0 | |||
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Class | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Moto3 | Honda | QAT | INA | ARG 17 |
AME 16 |
POR 25 |
SPA 21 |
FRA 25 |
ITA 18 |
CAT Ret |
GER 17 |
NED 21 |
GBR 18 |
AUT 25 |
RSM 21 |
ARA 17 |
JPN 14 |
THA 25 |
AUS Ret |
MAL Ret |
VAL Ret |
27th | 2 | ||
| 2023 | Moto3 | Honda | POR 21 |
ARG 18 |
AME 20 |
SPA 16 |
FRA Ret |
ITA Ret |
GER 10 |
NED 17 |
GBR 20 |
AUT 18 |
CAT 13 |
RSM 11 |
IND Ret |
JPN 12 |
INA 7 |
AUS 7 |
THA 2 |
MAL Ret |
QAT 14 |
VAL 11 |
16th | 63 | ||
| 2024 | Moto3 | Honda | QAT 3 |
POR 18 |
AME Ret |
SPA 17 |
FRA 14 |
CAT Ret |
ITA 4 |
NED 13 |
GER 2 |
GBR | AUT 15 |
ARA 6 |
RSM 4 |
EMI 13 |
INA Ret |
JPN 9 |
AUS 7 |
THA 5 |
MAL 2 |
SLD 7 |
10th | 137 | ||
| 2025 | Moto3 | Honda | THA Ret |
ARG 5 |
AME 9 |
QAT 2 |
SPA 6 |
FRA 6 |
GBR 12 |
ARA 11 |
ITA 6 |
NED Ret |
GER Ret |
CZE 16 |
AUT 6 |
HUN Ret |
CAT 3 |
RSM 12 |
JPN Ret |
INA Ret |
AUS 8 |
MAL 1 |
POR 3 |
VAL 3 |
8th | 172 |
| 2026 | Moto2 | Kalex | THA 16 |
BRA Ret |
AME | SPA | FRA | CAT | ITA | HUN | CZE | NED | GER | GBR | ARA | RSM | AUT | JPN | INA | AUS | MAL | QAT | POR | VAL | 20th* | 0* |
* Season still in progress.
References
- ^ "Rookie Furusato Shines On The Island". honda.racing. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Entry List". asiatalentcup.com. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup to return to racing in 2021". asiatalentcup.com. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "[2021 End Of Season Review] Taiyo Furusato Wins All Seven Races to Claim Championship Title". honda.racing. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "Furusato seals the Cup with a win". honda.racing. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Furusato wins on Rookies Cup debut in Mugello". motogp.com. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "Moto3 2022: Honda announces its riders at Honda Team Asia". paddock-gp.com. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "Honda Team Asia rider Taiyo Furusato undergoes successful surgery at Move-Mi Tres Torres". movetrauma.com. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "Foggia On Motegi Podium, Furusato Scores First Points". honda.racing. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "Furusato Takes His First Podium after Second Place in Buriram". honda.racing. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "2023 Season Review: Furusato Shines in Second Half, Claims First Podium". honda.racing. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "Moto3：トップ争い演じた古里太陽が2度目の表彰台に感動「成功の鍵はファインチューニング」／第1戦カタールGP" as-web.jp (in Japanese), 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "【2024 Moto3 第9戦ドイツGP】古里太陽が自己最高の2位表彰台獲得！ アロンソが今季6勝目" autoby.jp (in Japanese), 8 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "古里太陽が2位獲得【順位結果】2024Moto3第19戦マレーシアGP 決勝レース" as-web.jp (in Japanese), 3 November 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "2025 Entry Lists: MotoGP™, Moto2™ & Moto3™". motogp.com. 8 January 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "Furusato joins Aji in the 2026 IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Moto2 line-up". honda.racing. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
External links
- Taiyo Furusato at MotoGP.com