The appointment of Romano Albesiano as Honda’s technical director for 2025 has a powerful symbolic charge for a company so faithful to Japanese philosophy. However, the key to the success of the Italian’s signing is no longer so much what he can contribute, but what he is allowed to do.
Last year, a number of major changes were seen at the top of HRC. However, looking at the effect they have had on the results of its two teams in the championship, it is clear that all these moves have not worked.
It was during the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix that Shinichi Kokubu, until then HRC’s general technical director, was replaced by Shin Sato, another HRC engineer. Six months later, during winter testing, it emerged that Tetsuhiro Kuwata, the general manager of the entire racing department, was to be replaced by Taichi Honda, who came from the off-road division. The fact is that off-road and MotoGP bikes are similar only in the number of wheels they have, and if the results were bad then, they have been much worse since that restructuring.
At this point last year, with 16 grand prix contested and four more to go, the accumulated haul of the four Honda riders was 189 points, with a win for Alex Rins (Austin) and two podiums as the most significant achievements. It should not be forgotten that injuries sidelined Rins for nine races and Marc Marquez for three.
At the same point in 2024, the brand’s riders’ points tally is less than half (91 points), while Johann Zarco’s ninth place in Indonesia is the highlight of the season so far. In the constructors’ table, the situation is even more painful. Honda is last on 51 points, 42 points behind Yamaha, despite having twice as many riders on the grid.
The drop in the RC213V’s performance when measured against the benchmark bikes, especially the Ducati, may help to understand why Albesiano’s appointment is such a swerve in direction.
Honda has gone backwards in 2024, leading to the latest technical management changes
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Around this time last year, Honda had the opportunity to sign Gigi Dall’Igna, the guru who has been leading Ducati for the last couple of years. The deal fell through and it was business as usual, albeit with some nuances.
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