[2] After minor participations in the 500 and 250cc classes in the past, with riders like Shunji Yatsushiro and Osamu Hiwatashi entering back in the 1980s on Moriwaki coloured Honda NSR250, the company's owner Mamoru Moriwaki wanted to return to grand prix motorcycle racing in the early 2000s, aiming to officially return in 2004.
[6] Initially, Moriwaki had not planned to enter the sport so quickly, but an entry slot came free when the WCM team offered one of their seats because they weren't able to prepare one of their bikes in time for the race.
[3] The driver line-up had changed this year, Serizawa was let go and the team brought on board Australian Andrew Pitt[10][11][12] and later on experienced Frenchman Olivier Jacque[3][13] to ride a total of five races - all as wildcard appearances still.
Moriwaki participated for the first time in Europe, at the Italian grand prix, where Pitt finished seventeenth and last after insufficient fuel supply caused him to lose fourteenth place.
In Shanghai, Ukawa scored Moriwaki's final MotoGP point by finishing fifteenth and in Motegi, Matsudo retired the bike.