Honda emptied its toolbox at Misano. New frames, revised aerodynamics, modified engine... everything was there. But despite this massive deployment of resources, HRC remains well behind Ducati, Aprilia, and KTM. Joan Mir, on the sidelines, Luca Marini, Johann Zarco, Takaaki Nakagami, and Somkiat Chantra carried the weight of the program, with more determination than brilliant results.
Luca marini (Honda HRC Castrol) signed the best performance of the troops at the end of the Misano test with an 11th place in 1'30.983, thanks to an updated chassis and new rear aerodynamics. But his satisfaction had the overtones of a diplomatic speech:
« A very busy day for us because unfortunately Joan couldn't ride, we had to adjust our plan a little. (…) Overall I'm happy with what we tried (…) there are still things to improve, but I am approaching the races in Asia with a lot of ambition »
Ambition, yes. But in Misano, Honda still has nothing to worry about Ducati ou Aprilia.
Johann Zarco: “ With these Honda updates, we take another step forward »
Johann zarco (LCR Castrol Honda) finished 13th, after testing a new engine, a new frame and different fairings. The Frenchman is optimistic: " The test went better than expected and gave me more confidence. (…) With these updates, we are taking another step forward. »
One step forward… but while the others walk, Honda still runs after his shadow.
Takaaki Nakagami completed only a handful of laps to clock an anecdotal 1'31.994. As for Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu LCR Honda), he cut his test short and finished 22nd, far from the mark. A reminder that Honda aligns efforts but struggles to transform them into concrete results.
Joan mir, injured after his heavy fall at the weekend, did not take to the track. His absence forced Honda to redistribute tasks, but also left a glaring void: without him, the direct comparison with Marini et zarco remains biased.
Honda works, but the results remain mediocre. Marini speaks of "ambition", zarco of "a step forward", but for now, these are Ducati, Aprilia et KTM who reap the fruits. Honda continues to tinker, hoping for a rebirth that is slow in coming.
MotoGP Misano test: lap times
