The Inside story of an unfolding MotoGP revival
Was it a flash in the pan or the start of one of the most amazing turnarounds in MotoGP history? While Zarco’s reading of the conditions at Le Mans contributed to Honda’s first MotoGP win since April 2023, there were signs in the previous five races that hinted at the sleeping Japanese giant making a long-overdue comeback. AMCN speaks to people in the know to understand how they did it.
New faces, new approach
One of several factors behind the improvement is the arrival of Romano Albesiano, instated as Technical Director after a surprise move from Aprilia at the end of last year. Under the Italian’s guidance, organisation has stepped up. Plus, Honda has set up a base in Milan to act as a ‘pivot’ between race team and factory in Japan.
Albesiano says he quickly realised the RC213V wasn’t the problem so much as the whole way the operation was run.
While the bike underwent “nice improvements”, to use his words, the whole way the team worked collecting and analysing data changed. The base established in Milan is critical and is dedicated to machine dynamics analysis, study and simulation.
Albesiano describes the Milan base as a “pivot” that will be developed further.
For years Honda’s race engineers were frustrated that rider feedback wasn’t being heeded. Communication between the racing effort and the factory back in Japan was subpar. Bike development never truly addressed the issues experienced. Plus, as the RC213V lagged behind its competitors, changes were too substantial.
“The case wasn’t that they didn’t have enough good engineers or smart enough people to develop a proper bike,” says Pol Espargaro of 2021 and 2022, his two doomed years as Honda’s factory rider. “What was missing in my opinion was co-ordination between all parties.
“This is the power of the Europeans. They’re so small, they’re so in control of what they do and how they invest all their resources and move forward. This is something Honda is missing. I remember we were struggling a lot, and instead of bringing new, small parts to move (the package) forward, they were bringing completely new concepts. At one stage I realised they were not understanding the problems. They thought bringing a new concept would solve all the problems.”
Albesiano has been keen to address this communication issue. “We’re linked in the correct way between the development activity in Japan, some testing activity in Japan, testing activity in Europe, racing activity,” he says. “Things are going in the right direction.”
While Ducati has led the way on making use of every one of its bikes on the grid, pooling the data of all its bikes for the greater good, Honda criminally underused its satellite team and riders in the past. LCR technical chief Christophe Bourguignon praises some of the recent logistical changes: “Now Romano is in and he has nice discipline and method of work. Of course, he’ll need some time to get this method working on the track. We feel good. He’s got good spirit. He’s positive. We can all see HRC wants to achieve something.”
Fine tuning, not revolution
Aleix Espargaro’s first tests with the 2025 RC213V were frustrating. “Every time I jumped on the bike, it was a bit different,” he recalls. After tests in Barcelona and Jerez, both he and old boss Albesiano decided to put together a bike from parts they had previously tested. Big changes, such as the radically larger seat unit tested in Malaysia in February, were set aside.
“What we tried to do with Romano was to do a kind of puzzle with the best pieces we had,” says Espargaro. “This was not easy because we had a lot of stuff! But the last day of testing in Malaysia I left with a base of the bike that I liked a lot. For me it was not far from the best Aprilia I rode a couple of months before.”
So what changed from the first test in November? “Everything,” says Albesiano. “We gained stability, we gained some engine performance. In the test of Malaysia we had a new engine and had some engine performance. Even if the riders feel we still need to improve, it’s better than last year for sure.”
Bourguignon believes the unsuccessful parts that were tested went some way to helping engineers find development direction. “Some of the things were unsuccessful but they helped us understand what was a good direction. In racing, the worst scenario is when you try something and (the rider) feels the same.
“The bike was no huge change – just small details. Since September last year we’ve got quite a nice aero package. We refined the rest of the bike as well. There was no big revolution. Fine tuning. On top of that, in the last few races last year we got this experience where we tried some different geometry specs with this chassis. Then we could extract performance from it.
“Physically we can’t see it and the riders don’t feel a big difference. But the engine character seems to help us to be more constant on lap time and save the tyre, and be better on entry, a bit more stable. This is due to (a mix of) the electronics, engine character and friction.
“This was quite a surprise because the first time we tried it we thought, ‘It’s not going to make a big difference.’ But suddenly we were closer than the others. A lot of riders have changed bikes (between seasons) and they aren’t extracting the maximum from their package.”
Zarco brilliance
It could be argued Honda’s current line-up is the weakest in its premier class history. The factory that had fostered names such as Freddie Spencer, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez in the past doesn’t have the quixotic talents of a lead rider to fall back on.
A counter to that would be the recent performances of Johann Zarco. The Frenchman is arguably producing the best riding of his career since his debut MotoGP season in 2017. He’s consistently been Honda’s top name. There was the incredible sight of the double Moto2 world champion fighting with Pecco Bagnaia’s factory Ducati in Argentina. A brilliant fourth in Qatar followed, before winning his home Grand Prix in dramatic fashion.
The recent success has confirmed LCR team owner Lucio Cecchinello’s confidence in the 34-year-old at the end of 2023. “When we started this project back in 2024, we knew Zarco was an extremely professional and talented rider. We’d already worked with him during 2019 when he replaced Takaaki Nakagami for a couple of races. Then we had no doubt we’d have a very good rider in our team with the potential to help Honda rebuild the competitiveness. For us, what he did (at Le Mans) is confirmation.”
Even if Zarco’s emotions can often explode in the box, Bourguignon lauds his ability to quickly move on from disappointment, as well as his determination to constantly improve his riding.
“I mean, he’s really emotional,” says the Belgian engineer. “He gets upset really quickly. But he’s able to blow and then come back really quickly and reset his mind and forget what happened 10 minutes before.
“What’s incredible with him is he always tries to improve himself and his riding. He’s non-stop thinking of this. He’s one of those guys that can bring the whole team up – he’s got a really nice spirit. At LCR we like it when (the rider) is one of us. Cal (Crutchlow – LCR’s lead rider from 2015-2020) was like that, too.
“He’s a bit special. And we know the day we give him a good bike, he’ll have that extra just to put us in a better position.”
What does the future hold?
Honda knows it’s not done yet. “Of course, there is a plan,” says Albesiano, referencing the fight to reel Ducati in. “A new version of the engine will arrive in the middle of the season. Also on the aero side we will do some refinements. I understand the riders are quite frustrated at the end of the race. When you’re faster in the corners and the others keep passing you on the straight it’s not nice for them. We’re pushing 100 per cent and for next year they’ll have a good level of engine performance.”
The Jorge Martin Aprilia saga could also lead to the surprise signing of a truly elite talent for 2026. If that’s the case, it feels like HRC will be back among the MotoGP elite this decade.
Years in the wilderness
It’s difficult to think of a bigger fall from grace. From winning 21 MotoGP championships from 1983 to 2019 (and 25 constructor’s titles), Honda became a byword for complacency, arrogance, and a crippling lack of action. As well as the ignominy of its star rider defecting to Ducati’s third strongest satellite team at the end of 2023, it finished last in the Constructor’s Championship in each of the past three seasons.
Its darkest moment was at the Sachsenring in 2023 when only one rider – Takaaki Nakagami – could even race in the main event as Marc Marquez, Joan Mir and Alex Rins were out injured. At that point there were even questions about whether Honda would continue racing in MotoGP.
Results got even worse in 2024. For a brand that’s won a total of 314 MotoGP races in its storied history, Johann Zarco was the sole rider to score a top 10 finish in a season of 40 races.
But there had been a shift in attitude at the end of 2023. Marquez’s departure was a crossroads moment: would Honda give up, or vow to get back on top by any means? Much to the relief of the racing world, HRC President Koji Watanabe chose the latter option, and subsequently reorganised the racing department and started sending more engineers out to the racetracks.
It took another year for the first breakthrough at a post-race test at Misano last year. A significantly improved aero package has been maintained ever since. Plus, Honda soon announced it had signed Aprilia head honcho Romano Albesiano to be its new Technical Director – and the first non-Japanese engineer to hold that position. Aleix Espargaro and Takaaki Nakagami joined Stefan Bradl in a new three-rider test team.
