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Forced to chase in recent years, Honda is aiming to raise its head again this 2025. While the Japanese manufacturer has not designed a completely revolutionized bike for the upcoming season, it has not been sitting on its hands over the winter and showed up in Malaysia with many different elements to be launched. Solutions that will not revolutionize the performance of the RC213V overnight, but for Johann Zarco they could serve to create a good base to optimize with the help of the new technical director, Romano Albesiano.
"I am very happy to be back on a MotoGP bike and to continue to evolve, to improve my riding style and to try to ride the bike, to try to get the most out of it. With the hope that this will lead us to better positions," Johann said on the eve of the three-day official test. "From what I could see, the bike at the moment looks quite similar to before, but many different things have been prepared. Our first goal tomorrow will be to choose the chassis and I think there is also some engine design, but maybe not right away here in Malaysia. Then, on the last day, we will also look at aerodynamics."
Lots of work to be done, with the goal of getting back to fighting for the positions that count. "Based on experience, I don't expect something that will 'give us wings' and the feeling that we can fight for the podium right away, because I see the work that has been done, but I know it's difficult to put all the pieces together. The Japanese are making changes, but the feelings are sometimes quite similar," the Frenchman analyzed lucidly. "It's not easy to make big steps forward, but I think now Romano's work will be able to help move things along. He was very impressed by the potential that the Honda can have. It's the same feeling I have that I had a year ago. So, it's good to see that we have the same feeling."
Has Albesiano already begun to address the project, or is it still too early for him to begin to provide some input to improve the bike in some area?
"It's hard to say," answered the LCR rider, "I'm sure he could already give some ideas, but if we consider the fact that by contract he started working in January, Honda certainly could not wait for his arrival and ideas to start preparing everything for the end of the month. So, we have to respect and try everything that Honda had already prepared, also because what they plan to try are certainly not stupid ideas. The only one who might know some secrets might be Dall'Igna, but he is not the one who signed with Honda. So, I think Albesiano can give ideas, but we also have to carry forward what has been planned from November to now."
Having already made the Aprilia competitive, the Italian engineer could use a shortcut to solve Honda's problems, using his knowledge to make the RC213V work like an RS-GP. A scenario that might seem feasible on paper, but not in reality.
"We can't make the Honda an Aprilia, and he can't say, 'I know the Aprilia worked like this, so let's do this.' It's not feasible, because there has to be a balance between all the parts, a compromise, and to make the bike work like the Aprilia you would have to have the same engine, have everything the same on the Honda, and it wouldn't make sense, because it would be too big a change," the 34-year-old noted. "Besides, I'm not even sure it would work 100 percent: the Ducati is the best bike right now, because they have been finding the perfect balance between the package, the tires, the aerodynamics and the regulations for a few years now. They have been the best at managing it, and maybe there is nothing that can change that. Romano can't tell Honda, 'let's make an Aprilia' based on his knowledge, because we don't want to build an Aprilia and Honda has certain qualities, which I think are the Japanese soul of the product, that I've never encountered in a European brand. That's why I don't think it's possible to do something like that."
Looking instead at the work done by the Honda test riders in the Sepang test Shakedown, Zarco commented on the first feelings Espargaró had riding the Japanese bike.
"A positive aspect of Aleix is that he arrived with his team. They have already worked together, they know each other, and so the technicians understand his feelings right away and can give better information to the engineers. Strangely, he and I did not have the same comments," he admitted, "His first impression was about engine performance. Maybe I got so used to it that I forgot that we can make gains in this area. But I like that he has different and fresh sensations, and I'm also happy that Nakagami also lapped, because he finished last season at a good level, he still has a good pace and when he notices some difference on the bike he will be the first to say, 'okay, now it's working." In light of what they did in December and January, it was good to have them in action."
Thanks to concessions, the French rider would also have been allowed to join the two test riders and his new teammate, Somjiat Chantra, on the Malaysian track.
"We thought about it, but Honda has a quantity of tires to manage and that's why I didn't ride as well," he explained, "I will keep my energy for the three days of official testing, and I think they want to save some tires, because they may have more important things to test later rather than now, or maybe because they are not ready yet."
