Before the launch of the season, and from the confinement, Honda was convinced of having assured its reign in MotoGP until 2024. It was precisely until this deadline that the Tokyo manufacturer had just awarded itself the services of the one that has brought him the world title since 2013, except for the 2015 vintage. A perfect plan. Certainly, but fragile. Because it is well known that when you miss just one being, everything can be depopulated. Marc Marquez was injured, wanted to come back too quickly and had a second operation, leaving the HRC troops idle, with his RC213V at a standstill. Meanwhile, the useful second knife Cal Crutchlow has already received his release…
At Honda, did we lack foresight by betting everything on Marc Marquez ? It must be said that the talent of the eight-time World Champion tends to be blinding. In full possession of his means, he is dazzling, and his comeback during Jerez 1 showed to what extent he dominated his subject, his adversaries... But not himself...
Marc Marquez, it’s panache personified. But he also wages his war and Honda decided to leave this thoroughbred with his bridle on his neck. This time, he pulled the rope, and there he was on the sidelines. At a time when the RC213V really needs him. Because the new opus showed its weaknesses to such an extent that we started again on the basis of 2019. The intention was to make it evolve quickly. But Marc Marquez is no longer there, while Cal Crutchlow will leave at the end of this year.
The competitiveness of Honda for this 2020 MotoGP season therefore remains a question mark for the moment. The injuries suffered by Marc Marquez et Cal Crutchlow allowed Honda to collect only 19 points for the constructors' world championship in Jerez. Marc Marquez was the fastest man on track at Jerez 1, but the RC213V remains difficult to ride.
“My bike is very similar to the one from 2019”
The engineers had been moving in the wrong direction last winter. It wasn't until the sixth and final day of testing in February that aerodynamics were identified as a cause of problems. The development was carried out during the Coronavirus lockdown, but no new aerodynamic updates have yet been made at Jerez.
« We are using the 2019 aero package because the rules have changed" , confirmed Marquez in Jerez. “ You have to use the same aerodynamics in 2020 and 2021 and you only have one wild card. We didn't want to take a risk and approve an aerodynamic package that we don't know. Honda is working in this area but we need to be sure before approving“, declares Marquez.
In addition to the advanced engine, Honda relies on many 2019 components for the chassis, swingarm and aerodynamics. In principle, the Japanese have not made decisive progress since the 2019 season.
“My bike is very similar to the one from 2019”, confirm Crutchlow. “ There are small improvements to the electronics and motor, but everything else is more or less the same. On the one hand, it's good because we have a similar feeling. On the other hand, I would have liked more innovations."
Engine development is frozen until the end of 2021. Aerodynamics may have a per-driver update by the end of 2021. In other mechanical areas, engineers can work. Before the two weekends in Jerez, Marquez emphasized that Honda needed to work in the chassis and swingarm area. Honda also had some new parts in their luggage that they wanted to try on the second weekend in Jerez. The wound of Marquez thwarted this plan...
On the result side, Nakagami showed good dispositions during Jerez 2. But his bike is a model a priori even less evolved than those of Marc Marquez as well as Cal Crutchlow. In addition to suffering the horrors of a complicated 2020 season, Honda is perhaps now falling behind technically which would be costly for the coming years.
