Honda Motor Europe has appointed Chris Pike as its new Operations Manager for the FIM World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK). Pike inherits the position vacated by Marco Chini last month and will manage Honda’s operational and technical support in the WorldSBK paddock, including the Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team and Triple M Racing Honda World Superbike Team squads.

Pike brings to the role a wealth of technical experience in racing, having worked within the Honda family across a unique blend of championships including WorldSBK, MotoGP, Endurance World Championship and British Superbike. Pike’s time in WorldSBK dates back to the very first race at Donington in 1988 and he was part of Honda’s world championship winning campaigns in 1997, 2000 and 2002. More recently he worked with Honda as a crew chief in WorldSBK from 2012 to 2014 before making the move to MotoGP.

Pike starts his new role with immediate effect ahead of the first round of the 2018 WorldSBK season opener at Phillip Island, Australia from February 23-25.

Chris Pike – WorldSBK Operations Manager, Honda Motor Europe

“I am very happy to be stepping up to the role of Honda Motor Europe’s Operations Manager in World Superbike; a championship that holds many good memories for me. Although it is a return to a championship I know very well, this a fresh, new challenge for me and I’m looking forward to applying all that I’ve learned over the years to help Honda be a force in this very competitive series.”

Robert Watherston – Head of Motorsport, Honda Motor Europe

“Chris has been a part of the Honda Racing family for over twenty years and his vast and varied experience will be a real asset to our World Superbike operation. With Honda now having three CBR1000RR machines on the grid, expert oversight from both a technical and operational perspective is critical. In Chris I believe we have the ideal candidate to move this project forward strongly and help us achieve our goals.”