Honda’s rise in form has deeper causes – processes have been reorganized behind the scenes – current performances reflect this structural change
With seventh place in the season finale in Valencia, Luca Marini secured the decisive World Championship points for Honda to move up from Concession Group D to C. The Japanese team celebrated wildly. At the same time, the promotion means that Honda will have to forego some development advantages in the coming year.
In future, Honda will be on a par with KTM and Aprilia. The promotion to the higher group is proof of the progress made this year. While it was still difficult to finish in the top 10 on a regular basis at the start of the season, this became increasingly common in the fall. “The good thing is,” says test rider Aleix Espargaro, “that we at least have a bike at the front every weekend. Joan, Luca, or even Zarco sometimes, which means that the bike is working well.“
”The level is really, really high and very balanced for everyone. Sometimes it’s one rider, sometimes another, and Joan also showed in Portimao that the bike is fast. Of course, we are in the middle of a process.“
”KTM is also making progress. Aprilia is flying. The good thing is that everyone is getting closer to Ducati.” Johann Zarco won at Le Mans and finished second at Silverstone, but the rainy weather in France and the cool temperatures in England played a role. Joan Mir finished third at Motegi and Sepang. The former world champion achieved these results on his own, which makes them even more impressive.
Honda has woken up. Back in 2023, Marc Marquez’s last season, it was said that Honda was too sluggish and unresponsive. With the departure of the superstar, numerous changes were initiated behind the scenes, which are now showing their first signs of success two years later. Nevertheless, Honda is still in a different position compared to the three European brands.
“Yes,” says Espargaro, describing: “At first, it was really hard for me to understand how the Japanese work, because at Aprilia, with the European system, if you have a problem with the chassis, you go to the person responsible for the chassis.”
“If you have a problem with the electronics or the engine, you go to the person responsible for that. Here at Honda, it’s a little more complicated. There are more people, and it’s difficult to really understand which engineer is responsible for what.”
“Over time, I work and talk a lot with Romano [Albesiano]. Romano understands a little more. He has spent a lot of time in Japan, so I can talk to Romano a little more and understand a little more.“
”Now we are a little faster, and when I need something, the information comes more directly. I think Honda is also making a big effort to understand that it is more efficient and better to work a little more this way.”
Working methods have changed significantly
“The way we work now is completely different from how we worked at the beginning,” emphasizes Espargaro. Luca Marini also confirms the test rider’s impression. When the Italian switched to Honda in 2024, he only scored one World Championship point in the first twelve race weekends.
“So I’ve been here a year longer, and so much has changed since the beginning,” says Marini. “This year, I think the overall package has improved because we also have more people and more engineers.”
“The method of analyzing data before and after a race is now at a very high level. So, thanks to all the people who are putting a lot of effort into this project.“ ”I think we can be much better next season if we continue to work like this. As Aleix said, the method has improved further this season, but I think we can take another step forward.”
However, as mentioned at the beginning, Honda will have to forego the concession advantages. Private tests will no longer be allowed for regular riders, and test riders will also have slightly fewer tires available for private test drives. The engine specification will be frozen, and only one aerodynamic update will be allowed during the season instead of two. Ducati has the most restrictions, and Espargaro believes that this limits the Italian brand’s development opportunities. “Because I know from my experience how much material I’ve tested, how many laps I’ve done, and how much we’ve changed the bike in the last six months—it’s been impressive,” Espargaro compares. “When I imagine the situation without the test team, it’s not about me, but about the fact that we had the opportunity to test a lot of things. We bring a lot of things to Joan and Luca.“
”For example, we had three engine updates during the season. The engine we have now is very fast. Ducati has no way of changing the engine. If Joan and Luca were still riding with the engine from the start of the season, they wouldn’t even be in the top 10.”
