As the rider considered by many to be the most influential in the history of the brand, along with Valentino Rossi and Mick Doohan, it’s logical that most of the elements in the Honda revival equation revolve around Marc Marquez.
The Spaniard, who will be back on the RC213V after spending the winter preparing physically to be at his best for the start of the season, got serious last year and openly asked the Japanese manufacturer for a reaction as it endured its second winless campaign in three.
The change in the mindset of Honda’s senior management can be sensed in Tetsuhiro Kuwata’s latest statements, in which he openly admitted his frustration at its position of being the pursuer rather than the pursued.
“Unfortunately, Ducati is ahead of us,” the executive commented a few weeks ago. “It’s frustrating to see that we’re behind in that respect, that we’re chasing. That makes it so we don’t have the luxury of trying new things at the moment. We want to change that trend as quickly as possible.”
There are several indications that Honda, the most powerful manufacturer in the MotoGP paddock, has indeed changed its pace. Firstly, the incorporation of personnel from other factories, with special mention of Ken Kawauchi, signed from Suzuki and who will take over as technical director from Takeo Yokoyama.
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Going to the competition for a position as important as the one previously occupied by Yokoyama, a permanent fixture in the structure, suggests that the foundations of HRC are moving more than usual. Parallel to Kawauchi’s arrival, the technical part of the factory workshop and LCR’s has also been reorganised.
However, the success of Honda’s reshuffle is unlikely to bear fruit before the first half of the calendar is completed. And by then, it may be too late.
Stefan Bradl, HRC’s test rider, has already put the 2023 RC213V through its paces at the Sepang shakedown this week
Photo by: Dorna
The potential of the bike that Marquez and Joan Mir test this weekend will likely set a turning point in Honda’s trajectory. Either in an upward line, or the other way around. In the latter case, anyone would think that it is difficult for the Tokyo factory to do worse.
It was last in the constructors’ championship in 2022, a year in which it did not achieve a single victory. Its works team, Repsol Honda, finished ninth and languished 60 points behind the debutant VR46 Ducati outfit….
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