At Honda, it seems that a state of emergency has been declared. The results, since Marc Marquez alone can no longer hold the HRC house on his now injured shoulders, are not acceptable for the staff of a leading world manufacturer. Decision-makers who have allocated a budget for the cause so substantial that it is the first in the Grand Prix field. And yet, it is said that Honda would cling to the concession points in the regulations reserved for much less posh than it originally, to redo the cherry. A terrible admission of helplessness. Japanese emissaries are also traveling to assess the situation. Corrective actions are awaited. Is this why Mick Doohan is coming out of the woods?
At Honda, almost nothing is going well anymore. And we're not talking about just any manufacturer. This is the one who has already won 61 world championship titles in all categories, more than any other manufacturer in the motorcycle world championship. The title of the premier category has already been conquered 21 times. But since the serious injury of Marc Marquez Last year things changed. The last victory dates back to November 2019, the last podium to October 2020. Honda is currently going through the deepest crisis in its MotoGP history.
In Catalonia, the astonishing rumor of Honda being able to benefit from dealership points to completely relaunch its project has spread. It is as if HRC were begging for mercy, for a ceasefire, to reorganize, rebuild, relaunch. A terrible admission of helplessness that Pol Espargaro welcomed by playing pragmatism, but that Marc Marquez dismissed, in the name of honor.
In Montmelo, Shinichi Kokubu, technical director was seen in the Repsol stand. Her task ? Report to HRC leaders in Japan. By the end of the season, heads should roll, they say. Better, the transfer market is starting to talk about a possible Joan mir approaching, which would mean the mourning of monoculture Marc Marquez, whose state of form continues to be a concern.
Mick Doohan: “right now they’re just a little lost”
Something would therefore be brewing at Honda, which also pushes lifelong friends to take some liberties with their traditional loyalty. This is how it is Mick Doohan, five-time 500cc world champion for Honda from 1994 to 1998 and brand ambassador since then. The Australian clearly questions the functioning of the HRC. “ It's disappointing for me to see Honda in such problems ", said Doohan in an interview with the official website of MotoGP. " All riders have problems on this bike. Every once in a while they pull off a good lap or a reasonably acceptable result, but they struggle compared to other manufacturers ».
Honda has been criticized for several years. The sporting successes were there, but almost without exception, they were due to Marc Marquez. Dani Pedrosa or Jorge Lorenzo couldn't get along with the RC213V. Honda relied too much on its prodigy. The price to pay today that it is reduced is exorbitant.
Doohan adds: " the bike is not what it should be. Honda needs to rethink the way it operates ". Strong words that almost seem like a spontaneous application for an important position... So he calms things down: “ I am sure they will find their way back to the right path. They have also been successful in the past. Honda wouldn't have won so many world titles if they didn't know what to do. Right now they're just a little lost ».
