This is a position on the management of the Honda project, which comes from an executive working for a European manufacturer equally involved in MotoGP competition, which will certainly not leave Japan indifferent. And also because it is mentioned that the HRC has been swallowed up by a Spanish environment which sets the pace for an ambition that it finances, certainly, but which is fundamentally not its own. In addition to being technical and structural, the Honda problem is also political. An aspect of its decadence which had been little discussed until then, and which reveals that recovery will be even more complicated to accomplish...
The case Honda in MotoGP visibly moves even his direct rivals in the competition. And it begins with this clear observation: “ the Honda HRC team no longer scares its rivals as much as it did some time ago in MotoGP ". Comments relayed by Motosan and whose author is none other than the Italian engineer from Aprilia, Julius Bernardelle...
The latter then continues his analysis: “ the results obtained in Valencia during the one-day test also confirm this situation. Honda not only pursues the absolute benchmark of Ducati, but also motorcycles from other European manufacturers, which seem to do much better on the track. Honda still knows how to work, it needs to solve the puzzle ". But who is responsible for this slump? The man from Noale has his idea: “ in my opinion, this is not a congenital problem of the new bike nor a performance problem of Marc Marquez: he is still an absolute reference rider and, above all, he continues with a lot of desire to win in MotoGP ».
« The management of Honda HRC has been too absent given the great power of the sponsor Repsol and the entire Spanish environment«
As it is not on the visible surface of the iceberg that we will find the cause of all these ills, we must inevitably dive into the icy and dark waters to observe its hidden side. Which is not without risk… “ Honda has two themes to play better » said the transalpine. “ The first is linked to the way to develop the MotoGP project which, like Yamaha, needs modernization. An approach more dynamic is necessary, allowing the motorcycle to be continually developed in detail, based on a continuous exchange of information between the technical office of the manufacturer's racing department and the teams involved in the Grands Prix. Ducati, in particular, has made it clear in recent seasons how performance is built little by little, correcting a number of details that together make the technological package a winner ».
And the second? Here it is and it will certainly make people cringeAlberto Puig : " the second problem is linked to the management of Honda HRC, which in recent years has been too absent given the great power of the sponsor Repsol and the entire Spanish environment. The Japanese must once again be more present in the direct management of their investment, which can no longer be linked solely to the fate of Marc Marquez, but must have a longer-term vision.
He adds, recalling that the current level in MotoGP has never been both so high and tight, which will not make the task of Honda to straighten up… “ In current MotoGP, on paper all the bikes are quite competitive. What makes the difference is the set-up which must be very refined to get the best out of the Michelin tire without causing rapid degradation. But he still concludes: " As I've already said, Honda still knows how to work : he just needs to put all the pieces of the puzzle together ". And start by finding the corners.
