Like his colleagues from the other 5 manufacturers, the technical manager of Honda MotoGP, Takeo Yokoyama, was able to provide an update to the press after the first half-season of 2019.
Here is our translation of his entire remarks.
Find the other manufacturers here:
Ducati
Yamaha
Suzuki (coming soon)
KTM
Aprilia (coming soon)
Note that Honda, Suzuki and Aprilia spoke in Brno, Ducati, Yamaha and KTM in Austria.
2019 appears to be a year of contrasts, with Marc Márquez well ahead of the championship but Jorge Lorenzo unlucky. How do you analyze your season so far?
Takeo Yokoyama: “It is more than true that we have mixed feelings. To start with Marc, he did a fantastic job in the first part of the season, and on the other side of the garage, Jorge started out injured this winter and didn't have enough time to get used to our motorbike. Then, when he started to feel better on the bike, he suffered more crashes and was injured again. It is true that in his case it takes longer to be fast enough than he and we had thought. But I'm sure he'll come back soon and it'll be pretty quick. In the case of Cal (Crutchlow) and Nakagami, they also worked well. Cal got two podiums in the first part, and Nakagami is improving each time and is constantly fighting in the top 10. So we are very happy about that. »
It seems that the 2019 Honda has improved in top speed, but is it really possible to understand the strengths and weaknesses of this one when you have a rider as talented as Marc Márquez who can mask certain weaknesses, where it Doesn't it count from the moment Honda wins races?
“Masking, I don’t know if you can say that, but in any case when you have a driver like Marc, who is a particular top driver, a champion, I think that this “masking” can happen at any time. which manufacturer. So I don't want to deny that that happened, but that's why it's more important for us to work with Marc, because Marc is really, really good at understanding the bike. He has been working on the bike for 6 or 7 years so he can help us a lot to develop it. In the end, he is a boy who knows exactly what is needed to be even faster, and that helps us a lot to continue in the right direction. »
You say that Marc gives you the right direction to follow. But what would happen if he wasn't there, what if he went on vacation, and does your bike really suit Jorge? Cal (Crutchlow) also says it's difficult to ride...
“To start with Cal, we know his character, he is very demanding and I think everyone here knows that he likes to talk a lot (laughs). Personally, I really like talking with him and every time we come to a serious discussion he is very good at giving us his opinion and that's why we try to improve the bike also for him. It's the same for Jorge. So as far as the three drivers, Marc, Jorge and Cal, we work for all of them, of course. It doesn't happen very often that they all say completely opposite or different directions or requests. But in case that happens, of course, our priority is Marc. Because Marc is a champion, he can give us the best feedback, and let's say the first priority is to win the title with Marc. If for one reason or another Marc decides to go “on vacation” or something else, we must of course continue to work according to the direction of the other drivers. But Marc won't be going on vacation, don't worry! »
Are you surprised that the fact that you gained top speed thanks to a larger airbox has penalized the feeling on the front axle a little?
“The top speed that sacrificed the front axle? I don't agree with that. It is true that compared to last year, one of the points of development was to improve in top speed, but of course our objective was not to lose anything else, and I am convinced that we have reached a good level . »
The contract with the MSMA (manufacturers' association) ends in 2021 and we may have new rules in 2022. How satisfied are you with the current rules and what changes could occur regarding engines and aerodynamic?
“For us, for Honda, it's very similar to what Romano Albesiano said: we talked about aerodynamics but it's more about next year and I think a lot of people know that the regulations are already set for next year. And we are very happy about that. But apart from that, for example for engines, after 2021, we haven't discussed much. We know it's time to do it but Honda's view is that we're pretty happy with the current regulations in general. Of course, there are some details that will need to be worked out but we're pretty happy with the situation, and if there are some discussions or proposals on the table, we're open to that. »
Yesterday we spoke to Takaaki Nakagami and his situation is not yet completely finalized for next year. He wants a 2020 motorcycle and says HRC is offering him a 2019…
“Regarding Taka, we are very, very happy with what he is doing. It has been in the Honda family for many years and we are very happy with it. But for next year's contract, we are still in negotiations and I really can't talk much about that. We will make a decision by looking at the overall panorama of competition activities. »
Can you tell us about your black-covered chassis?
“I can say that this black thing and carbon (laughs). If I'm not mistaken, we tried it from Jerez with Bradl as a wildcard and we have already changed the stiffness 4 or 5 times. I think some of you saw that Marc and Jorge tried it. There are always positives and negatives, but I would say we are in the middle of our study to find out what the benefits of this material are. Obviously we learned with the carbon swingarm last year but when we apply the carbon to the front part of the chassis the performance changes. It's not the same as the swingarm, so we're still in the middle of our study, and when we know exactly the best way to use it, I think you'll see all of our riders with it. »
Why do you think it is so difficult for Jorge Lorenzo to ride your bike?
“Due to his riding style, we expected that it would not be easy for him to adapt to the Honda bike, nor for us to make the best-fitting bike for him. But in addition to this prediction, he was injured twice. And like I said, every time he started to feel good, comfortable, something unlucky would happen: one or two more accidents, another injury. We are therefore in a negative spiral. But in life, once you go through the negative spiral, only good things will happen. So you will see, soon. »
It is very impressive to see the angles taken by Marc recently: 65° repeatedly at the Sachsenring. Where is the limit ?
“(Laughs) honestly, yes, 65° is a lot and it’s impressive. To be honest, when we decided on MotoGP, we didn't expect a rider to reach 65°. This is why when Marc takes this inclination, he touches something, like the fairing or the footrest. Where is the limit ? I do not know exactly. Maybe in 4 or 5 years, Marc will be at 70°. I don't know. From an engineer's point of view, with theoretical calculations or whatever, I'm sorry but I don't have the skills to answer you. Perhaps you should ask the people at Michelin (laughs). »
Would you like the regulations to be liberalized regarding the number of engine cylinders?
“That could be interesting (laughs). But to be honest, we have never talked about this recently. It is true that we have worked on V5s in the past and it was a very interesting project. We have learned many things from the past. So I don't know what to answer you: maybe yes, maybe no. If someone proposed it or if it were to happen in 2022, that the number of cylinders is free, then maybe we would seriously think about abandoning the 4 cylinder. »
Why aren't you interested in the MotoE Cup? Do you believe this is not the future? Don't you have the technology? Or don’t you want to be a pioneer in the field?
“From Honda's point of view, of course, this can be the future. We cannot deny it and that is why we are watching what is happening in MotoE with great attention. But if you ask me if Honda is ready to participate immediately, we have to answer "no" for the moment because we are Honda Motors and if we decide to get involved in this championship, we want to do it properly, not half-heartedly or as a beginner only because we have to start. There is obviously the technology at Honda, but we are not ready to compete properly. And until we are ready, we don't want to get into this championship. »
Are you in favor of authorizing an engine upgrade during the season?
“We have to look at it from a holistic point of view because of course if you allow manufacturers to change engine specifications mid-season it can help someone who might have made a mistake at the start of the season. And if you allow yourself to make a mistake in winter, then you can become a little more competitive again, but if you haven't made a mistake, you have to be a little more conservative: you can't make a radical change to the engine in winter ! So honestly if this was allowed maybe it could be good for the engineers because we could take more risks in the winter, if you made a mistake you could recover in the middle of the season. But on the other hand, we would need more resources, money for development and perhaps personnel. So right now, I can't say yes or no, and if it's put on the table, we really need to think about it carefully. Then we will vote. »
Ducati uses a system that lowers the rear of their bike when starting off. Honda already used this in Superbike 15 years ago. Could this be the case again in MotoGP soon?
“For Honda, it wasn’t just 15 years ago in Superbike. If you remember, when Álvaro Bautista rode for Gresini Honda, he used to use one, but it was not positioned at the rear but on the fork at the front. Yes, we understand this technology and if we need to use it we will, but we haven't tested anything yet. So we'll see. »
Pilots say they prefer racing to testing. You, it's probably the opposite, but can we imagine developing a motorcycle only during races and having reduced testing?
“Even with the testing opportunities, especially with the official riders, the way we have to develop the bike would obviously have to change. But the amount of development we need to do would not be reduced. I do not think so. Because obviously, a manufacturer has test riders and they participate more and more in the development of the motorcycle. In our case, Stefan Bradl is really good and gives us good feedback. Currently his returns are very similar to those of the official drivers, Marc, Jorge, Cal and Nakagami. So honestly, if it's decided that we have more races and less testing, that's OK for Honda. We could develop the bike with a different approach but the same amount (of work) and at the same level. But it would be OK for us. »
During the last 8 hours of Suzuka, Honda looked like it could fight for victory but that did not happen. You have been chasing victory since 2015. Are you going to change your approach and change drivers for next year?
“All I can say is that HRC is making a lot of effort and we will continue to do so for next year. But I'm not really the right person to talk about the Suzuka 8 Hours or Superbike. If you ask Kawata San or Kokubo San or Sato San, they are all here and if you want me to make an appointment for you, I can do that (laughs). »
Find the other manufacturers here:
Ducati
Yamaha
Suzuki (coming soon)
KTM
Aprilia (coming soon)
Note that Honda, Suzuki and Aprilia spoke in Brno, Ducati, Yamaha and KTM in Austria.
Photo credit : MotoGP.com
