Lucio Cecchinello's LCR Honda team has been working with Honda in MotoGP since 2006 and wishes to continue this strategy in 2018.
However, Dorna would prefer to persuade each of the 6 manufacturers to provide a factory team and a private team. However, the other private team equipped with Honda, Marc VDS, thanks to a guaranteed budget until 2021, is planning an agreement to continue with the Tokyo firm. However, this does not really seem to worry Lucio Cecchinello. It is true that his relationship with the Japanese manufacturer has visibly strengthened over the course of last season, with Cal Crutchlow actively working to develop the HRC motorcycles.
Gunther Wiesinger (Speedweek) was able to interview the Italian team manager.
Lucio, your Honda colleagues at Marc VDS, thanks to a guaranteed budget until 2021, plan to continue with Honda in 2018. What do you think? You yourself are also convinced that you will be able to continue with Honda.
“Michael Bartholemy, the Team Principal of Marc VDS, is doing an incredible job. He is a very good manager. I've been involved in motorcycle racing for 30 years, but I've never been able to get a budget five years in advance. I have never found as much money as him. Truly astonishing. I have a lot of respect. I am doing my best. But maybe I'm not good enough! »
But you have worked in MotoGP since 2006 with HRC. Your team celebrated two MotoGP victories last year, Cal Crutchlow finished sixth in the World Championship. You're not worried, are you?
“Ever since I got involved in motorcycle sport, even before I had my team, I used Honda equipment. It's been 24 years. I started in the Italian Sport Production category with Honda. Before, I was a mechanic in a Honda team. I was a Honda Cup driver. I won the 125cc European Championship in 1995 with Honda. Afterwards, I set up my own 125cc GP team with Honda and the Japanese Nobby Ueda. »
In 125cc, you even beat Valentino Rossi on the factory Aprilia…
“(Laughs). Valentino was 15 years old, at the start of his career. I had more experience as a pilot. My personal history with Honda is therefore very long. It's a real relationship and it would break my heart if this collaboration ended. That would make me sad. Although sometimes it is not easy to maintain a balanced relationship with such a big company. Because, as a team owner, you represent very little, you are small and you ask for something for a long time. »
If KTM supplies a privateer team next year, they will probably equip all four of their riders with the same equipment because the 2016 bikes may not be powerful enough. Wouldn't that be attractive?
“I will go with Honda in 2018. Since no factory team that I can work with is looming anyway, I would like to further deepen the collaboration with Honda.
It's no secret that we received an inquiry from Suzuki in spring 2016. As a result, we discussed with Nakamoto and Livio Suppo for HRC how we could continue our collaboration in the future. They are struggling a lot for the LCR. Look around how many Honda engineers come to us in the box, how many parts we receive during testing. We cannot say that we are not happy with this collaboration. I have already shaken hands to make a deal with HRC. However, I asked them not to increase the prices of equipment for the coming years. Suzuki's offer was enough to make me think: either, for the maximum price of 2,2 million euros per rider per season, I would receive the full support of the factory, including upgrades, or I would stay at Honda, where I perhaps had a motorcycle from the previous year…
Honda's new offering was the key to not changing brands. We found a good compromise with Honda. So we decided to stay with Honda in the future. This is our plan. »
