The Jerez tests represented the definitive proof of a step that Honda considered enormous: in the Spanish Grand Prix it had entrusted Stefan Bradl, the brand’s tester, with a completely renewed RC213V. At the end of the fourth weekend of the season, the new bike would pass into the hands of the owners, who would give the final judgement. So it was, however, the opinions of both the official bearers and the LCR standard bearers were far from positive.
The new Honda was a flop: Joan Mir had already stated this during the weekend, but he then reiterated it on test Monday, revealing that he had already had the opportunity to try the RC213V in the Barcelona tests and had discarded it, in agreement with teammate Luca Marini. So much so that, in Jerez, neither of them was seen leaving the pits with the new ones, but with the bike used during the weekend.
Joan Mir, Repsol Honda Team
Photo credit: Honda Racing
“Here we didn’t intend to test a bike that Bradl had already tested. We squeezed ourselves into trying it at the Barcelona test, we just discarded it”, reported Mir at the end of the day of testing in Andalusia. “The bike used by Stefan is not the one we want to continue working with.” The Majorcan is categorical and maintains that Honda is already following the direction he indicated, which he believes is the most correct.
Johann Zarco is of the same opinion, who instead rode in the Jerez tests with the Honda tested by Bradl. The Frenchman completed several runs, but the final verdict was a failure. The LCR standard-bearer is less drastic than its fellow brand, but believes that the RC213V proposed by the Japanese brand is not the most appropriate direction in which to direct development.
“I did a lot of laps, short runs, but concentrating on the bike,” explained Zarco at the end of the day of testing. “We also changed things to do everything step by step. I expected to make a step forward in these tests with the new bike, but no drama. We don’t have to keep testing this bike, we’ll have to put it aside. I did the same test that the owners did in Barcelona,” he continued.
Johann Zarco, LCR Honda
Photo by: LCR Team
Marini, who did not speak to journalists at the end of the Jerez tests, already offered a rather clear picture of the situation during the weekend of the Spanish Grand Prix: “It’s not the time to stop working, we have to continue gathering information and, not only try to improve our current package, but also work on developments for the future.”
The rider from Tavullia calls for calm, as does the Frenchman. Mir adds fuel to the fire, while the other two calm things down, continuing to consider the fact that the work to be done is so great that a few changes and a few days of testing cannot be enough. Undoubtedly, Honda is working hard to return to the top, and is doing so by offering many new features. Taking advantage of the concessions, the Golden Wing manufacturer has full freedom to test and, from Tokyo, various solutions have been brought, which however at the moment do not find the full approval of the pilots.
Luca Marini, Repsol Honda Team
Photo credit: Honda Racing
Also echoing the three dissatisfied with the innovations proposed by Honda is Takaaki Nakagami. The Japanese is the rider with the most experience aboard the RC213V, this being his seventh year with Lucio Cecchinello’s team. In the Jerez tests, the LCR rider was the first of the owners to take to the track with the innovations tested by Bradl, however the rider from Chiba also aligns himself with the thoughts of his brand mates.
“I had the opportunity to do several runs in the morning (on Monday, ed), but unfortunately I didn’t have any positive feelings. The main problems have always been the same. Aerodynamics and chassis were very different, but on the track there was no grip, no turning… I mean, same sensations as the old bike. Too many old problems,” explained Nakagami after testing the long-awaited RC213V.
Takaaki Nakagami, Team LCR Honda
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
In short, the work was in vain. Honda is still living in the midst of its nightmare into which it sank in 2020, the year of Marc Marquez’s now famous injury. From that moment on, she has never managed to get back on top, except for a few flashes of glory. The last victory dates back to 2023 with Álex Rins, dominator in Austin with the LCR team, while the best result by an official rider is Marc Marquez’s third place in Motegi, also last year.
This year, all four Hondas are consistently at the back of the field and, ironically, the worst weekend was in Austin. In both races, in fact, only Luca Marini managed to reach the finish line, still finishing 17th, almost 23 seconds behind the winner on Saturday and 16th with a gap of 33 seconds on Sunday. The other three ended up in the gravel in both the Sprint and the long race.
#MotoGP #Night #fHonda #RC213V #flop #pilots
