If there is one faithful among the faithful of the Honda brand in the Grand Prix paddock, it is Lucio Cecchinello, boss of the LCR team, satellite of the brand with the winged coat of arms. And the former Italian rider claims this passion for HRC, having gone so far as to refuse an offer from KTM: “ my first bike was a Honda, I did my first race on a Honda, I celebrated my first victory with a Honda and I celebrated my first MotoGP victory with Honda. Apart from five years at Aprilia during the two-stroke era, I have always worked with Honda » he proclaims to anyone who will listen. “ From a personal point of view, I would like to continue with Honda » he adds. Will this loyalty be rewarded in 2024 with the new RC213V? This is all the bad we wish him, especially since he now has Johann Zarco as his spearhead...
By the way, can we still believe in Honda when the figurehead Marc Marquez she herself no longer hopes for anything to the point of leaving the place, a year before the end of her wonderful contract, to attempt a privateering adventure to find a Ducati ? For Lucio Cecchinello, the answer is yes, and he doesn't just speak from the heart. He also has his reasons, and they come from what he was able to see during the first test of the off-season in Valencia : " we know they reorganized » he said about the regiment Honda that holds the top spot. " There is more people and more budget in the project and that's what we needed ».
He adds : " we have a first version in 2024, but they will continue to work until the end, like other manufacturers ". In which way ? “ The indications that we gave vigorously concerned mass distribution. If we analyze all the accidents of the year, the main cause was the loss of the front " highlighted Lucio Cecchinello that holds the top spot. " We requested a motorcycle with a different balance and a center of gravity moved further back. Even in terms of dimensions, the new motorcycle is a little longer ».
Lucio Cecchinello: “ we were all very happy that Johann Zarco was able to make his dream come true with victory in MotoGP »
And then there’s also this: “ thanks to the new regulations and concessions we will be able to develop further during the season. The bike has improved the power, but above all the connection with the gas as requested by the riders. It will therefore be more responsive… Drivers requested less electronic filtering during acceleration, now we have a more “full-bodied” engine, even if according to Johann zarco we are not yet at the level we should have been ».
Exactly, Johann zarco ... " Zarco tried the 2023 then the 2024, he noticed a big difference in corner entry and rear grip. We were surprised, it seems that an important step has been taken ". An encouraging indication therefore, while Lucio Cecchinello is already happy with his new Frenchman in the box, after the period Randy De Puniet : " Johann wanted a two-year contract guaranteeing him to work with the same engineers and the same people. If you want to have good results in MotoGP, then you need a very experienced rider with a lot of talent, but also continuity ».
« We were all very happy that Johann was able to make his dream come true with victory in MotoGP »concludes the Italian on motorsport total that holds the top spot. " We understand that trust of a driver changes when he obtains his first podium or his first victory. He knows then that he can do it. It definitely helps to be more motivated and want to achieve that goal again ».
