RT Motorsport Honda: World Championship comeback with a seasoned rider and a rookie

Until 2024, RT Motorsports was one of the top teams in the Supersport 300 World Championship. At that time, Rob Vennegoor ran a Kawasaki team in partnership with tuning specialist Frank Krekeler. Their greatest success came in 2021 with the English rider Tom Booth-Amos, who finished as runner-up in the world championship, raced onto the podium six times and won two races. When they parted ways, RT Motorsports shifted its focus to the new sportbike class and competed in the IDM/Euro Moto with Triumph. The title was clinched in 2025 with Inigo Iglesias.

Then, unexpectedly, an opportunity arose to return to the paddock of the production-based World Championship with the support of Honda Europe. The team will compete in 2027 as Sencat RT Motorsports – Honda Racing. A promising test with the CBR600RR had been completed at Hockenheim with Daniel Mogeda. However, von Vennegoor had not yet confirmed the riders.

The Dutchman has now done so, presenting Marco Gaggi (23) and Freddi Barnes (19) as his rider line-up for 2027. “We’ve worked long and hard to put together a team that’s truly competitive,” emphasised Vennegoor. “With Marco and Freddie, we have two riders on board who, whilst coming from very different backgrounds, both possess the talent and ambition to compete at the very front. Together with Honda and the new CBR600RR, we have built a team of which we can be proud.”

As a reminder: like Kawasaki, Honda has also had the same bike homologated for the Supersport and Sportbike World Championships. However, it was not until Misano – when the Yamaha team AG Motorsport Italia switched to Honda mid-season – that Honda was represented in the field with a bike.

Gaggi has been a regular fixture in the World Championship since 2022 and has secured a total of four top-three finishes in the Supersport 300 World Championship. Last year, the 22-year-old initially stood no chance in the Sportbike category on the Yamaha R7, but gained momentum as the season drew to a close with the new model. The 19-year-old Barnes, on the other hand, is a World Championship rookie and will have a lot to learn.

Marco Gaggi

Foto: RT Motorsport