Honda technical director Romano Albesiano comments on a possible move by Jorge Martin and talks about the manufacturer’s ambitions for 2026
Romano Albesiano, former technical director at Aprilia and in a senior development role at Honda since the beginning of 2025, would welcome the arrival of Jorge Martin at the Japanese manufacturer. Since it became known that Martin wants to leave Aprilia early, he has been linked with Honda.
When asked about a possible move by the reigning world champion to Honda, Albesiano initially responded cautiously in an interview with MotoGP.com, saying he was “still really fresh from this company” – i.e. Aprilia.
However, he emphasized: “If Martin comes to Honda, it would certainly be a very good thing. For Aprilia, it would be a bad thing.“ He did not want to comment further on the subject out of respect for his former employer. However, his statement shows that he considers a possible move to be a big win for Honda.
Albesiano sees ”a different culture” at Honda
Regarding his own move to Honda, Albesiano reveals: “When the call came from HRC, I was thrilled. Honda is the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.”
Although the way of working within the group is “a different culture,” he deliberately brings his “European approach to development and testing” to the table. This does not mean a revolution, but rather a focus on passion and creativity, two qualities that, according to him, have always distinguished Honda.
Looking back on the team’s performance in 2024, Albesiano says he actually expected a much worse machine: “To be honest, looking at last year’s results, I expected the bike not to be good.”
But he was surprised when he first spoke to the riders. “Most of the bike’s characteristics were positive, only a few very specific points were really negative.” A good basis for implementing targeted improvements.
Technical advances: engine, electronics, new processes
Albesiano sees the biggest progress in power delivery, which is now “more controllable for the rider.” “There have also been developments in the electronic strategy, such as traction control,” said Honda’s technical director.
In addition, the approach to race weekends has changed: “We now share as much information as possible.” This has also helped them to understand how certain components affect the vibrations that Honda riders have been suffering from repeatedly since the start of the season.
Albesiano considers braking performance to be particularly critical: Braking is probably the most important phase in modern MotoGP. We can still improve here.”
Honda riders: High praise for Zarco, Mir, and Marini
Albesiano also spoke at length about his riders. In his opinion, Johann Zarco is often underestimated. “He is super fast and can handle the vibration of the bike better than many others. He is doing a fantastic job.”
Albesiano describes Joan Mir as extremely talented and incredibly fast, but also emphasizes: “For many reasons, he has not been able to fully exploit his potential so far.” Mir probably needs to “adjust his riding style a little more” and avoid taking unnecessary risks when entering corners.
Luca Marini was out of action for a while due to his accident in Suzuka. He was noticeably missed by the team. Because: “He helps enormously with development,” says Albesiano. However, Marini is set to return to the track at the Sachsenring.
Misano test decisive – fight for victories realistic
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Albesiano announced that many new developments are in the works, both on the chassis and the engine. “We have a pretty full list of innovations for the end of the season,” announced the technical director.
The official MotoGP test day in Misano in September will be particularly important, as it will provide crucial data for next season’s bike.
Will Honda be able to fight for the title again in the 2026 season? Albesiano remains cautious: “To fight for the world championship – honestly, I don’t know. But I expect to be able to fight for race wins,” he says, looking ahead.
Albesiano is also hoping for an end to the so-called concessions that give less powerful manufacturers technical advantages: “We don’t want concessions. Hopefully we’ll lose them at the end of the season. And we’d be happy to lose them.” After all, that would be a sign of progress.
