If the two Japanese manufacturers present in MotoGP are going through a difficult time, like Yamaha, which is making a big effort to maintain fabio quartararo and by not hesitating to start building a V4 for comparison with its inline four-cylinder, Honda is not being left behind and is acting on both the technical and human levels.
We have already seen a clear improvement in the performance of the RC 213 V thanks to a new fairing and a new swingarm, including Johann zarco was able to extract the quintessence in Indonesia, but in parallel with these technical developments, a restructuring of the various teams of the manufacturer with the golden wing is taking place.
It is now established, and official, that the ever-fast Takaaki Nakagami will be replaced by Thai Somkiat Chantra and will become a test driver in the HRC Test Team in 2025, and we have just learned that he will be joined there by Ken Kawauchi, a Suzuki transfer since the start of 2023, and currently technical director of the Repsol Honda and Honda LCR teams.
Promotion or not, ultimately it doesn't matter because, exactly like for Takaaki Nakagami, if the results have hardly changed during his activity in this position and that his new role could seem to be a demotion, his new function will make him a cog more upstream of the development of the motorcycle, therefore concretely more important than simply exploiting the material that is provided to him. We recall that last year, his direct superior, Shinichi Kokubu, had already been replaced by Shin Sato. To take the place of Ken Kawauchi on the circuits during race weekends, we would call on Mikihiko Kawase (source Motorsport), following an internal promotion.
The name of Fabiano Sterlacchini, an important cog at Ducati who moved to KTM in 2021, has been circulating in the press, but would be located in a higher technical position. Having arrived in Mattighofen through the front door by being inducted as MotoGP technology director, he left through the back door, following the stagnation of results during this 2024 season. His officialization and his role have not yet been announced.
Finally, to conclude this topic on the reshuffles at Honda, the Spanish journalist Manuel Pecino, for our partner Motosan.es, indicated thatAlberto puig did sign a new two-year contract a few weeks ago, but had this intriguing line: "If Alberto left Honda, it would be more because of a physical problem and not because of a contractual problem."
As we can see, things are moving a bit in all directions at Honda (without even mentioning the unfruitful Kalex interlude) and this is good news: like Yamaha, faced with difficulties the Tokyo manufacturer has decided to roll up its sleeves and not throw in the towel like Suzuki and did so for financial reasons.
The coming weeks should provide more clarity and, we hope, confirm the progress of the RC 213 V on the track...
MotoGP Honda 2025
MotoGP Honda 2025
