This year, Honda has significantly evolved its Test team, recruiting two of the three riders who retired after the Barcelona Grand Prix to help them develop their project. Efforts considered essential by Joan Mir, somewhat exhausted from having assumed this role, at the same time as that of factory rider, in 2024.
Since the end of the 2024 season, Takaaki Nakagami and Aleix Espargaro have been part of the HRC test driver team. Two important signings for the Japanese manufacturer, which is sparing no effort to get back on track, and which, to do so, must take full advantage of the manufacturer concession system that favors it.
A D-rank factory, like Yamaha, Honda has not taken enough advantage of the system redesigned at the dawn of the 2024 season according to Joan Mir. The Spaniard even believes that the concessions have not impacted Honda's progress in the twenty rounds that made up the 2024 campaign.
"Good question. This year, [we would] probably be in the same place we are [without the concessions], Joan Mir confided in Barcelona, when invited to take stock of Honda's season. They help us for the next ones. But in the short term, they don't give us any advantage. You can see it in the results. We have to find a way to produce parts that make us faster. At the moment, we can't get them."
It should be noted, however, that the situation of the Japanese manufacturer has changed greatly between the first stages of the 2024 season and the last. If the number 36 has the impression that things are not moving fast enough, it is also because he believes that the roles were poorly distributed.
©HRC
Manufacturer concessions allow Yamaha and Honda to run all their riders during private tests. Luca Marini's teammate nevertheless regrets somewhat having chained the Test sessions for Honda. He believes that his role as a regular rider should not lead him to complete so many laps between two Grands Prix.
"You know, the fact that factory riders can test more, I don't think it's an advantage, He continues. If the bike was better, I would be faster. That's why we do tests. But we go and test something, we spend a day on it, without resting psychologically. And so we have races, tests, races, tests, and maybe it's worse. We've strengthened the test team, and we have to use it to our advantage, to have a good basis of what we can try during the GPs. Then we can see if it's better."
He is therefore looking forward to having more time off between competition weekends in 2025, as Takaaki Nakagami and Aleix Espargaro will focus more on this part of the work for Honda.
"We need to reorganize things a bit for next year. It's already done. The test team wasn't enough. We only had one test driver. Honestly, we could improve the test team infrastructure a lot. We did it, and I think for next year it will be a big help." concludes Joan Mir.
