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After ending the Jerez GP far from the top 10, Honda LCR's Monday test was also not one of high performance. In fact, both riders navigated in the lower parts of the standings. Team manager Lucio Cecchinello took stock of the situation.
"We tried different aerodynamic solutions to improve the feeling of the riders on the saddle, but also the handling and grip. We also worked on different suspension calibrations. In the face of concessions were there any engine changes? Not for us, I don't know if the factory team had new material," he explained.
Also among the new features was a different chassis. "Actually we are working a lot on analyzing various chassis with different stiffnesses. This is because we realized that it is a point to develop. Bradl's performance, all in all good. His times were in line with those of the factory riders, when he usually takes a second. That's why HRC provided us with a bike of Stefan's to test," he went into detail.
At the factory in Japan, they are working hard: "It's absolutely noteworthy their approach. They are working on the current bike, like on evolution projects, and then they are very fast."
About the skipped Barcelona tests that had featured only Marini and Mir, he confirmed, "We were in the U.S. and all the material would have to be transported to Europe, so for logistical reasons we had to give up, but after Le Mans we should go to Mugello and it will be another crucial session as we will not only focus on tuning, but also on new things."
When asked if the road to recovery is still long, the 54-year-old admitted, "I would like to know that we have a solution in the short term, as it is hard to accept to see one's bikes at the bottom of the group despite all the efforts. However, I want to hope that we can make a few steps forward and from sailing between 17th and 19th place, move up to 12th to 15th."
On the other hand, with regard to Johann Zarco who arrived from Ducati and therefore from a currently winning background, he then said, "I have never worked together with him, plus we have only done three race weekends. For now, therefore, I have not been able to appreciate his character described by everyone as peculiar. So far he has never lost patience. He brings out frustration when he can't score the time he would like to, or like yesterday when he was dropped, although the issue was blown out of proportion by the media. Overall, I noticed that when he expresses dissent vigorously, after a few minutes he calms down and becomes very reasonable. It is good to work with him, he has a lot of experience and he comforts us going forward."
On the market he then revealed, "With the Frenchman we have a two-year contract, while with Nakagami we do not. Right now we have a commitment with Honda for 2025 and we are discussing renewal. For Takaaki it is premature to talk about replacement, as there are other priorities. Certainly the lack of results is not his fault. Remember he did fourth in 2020 right here in Jerez and now we are at the bottom. The same is happening with Marini. Before we think about changing riders, we need to fix the bike."
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