With Luca Marini's 7th place in the Valencia Grand Prix, Honda lost concessions, and it was celebrated as a victory. The Japanese giant didn't like being treated as if it were in need of a helping hand and will now play with the same cards as its opponents.
HRC made the chart you see above to explain how much faster it was in 2025: 57% faster. This season, it managed to bring home 285 points, 210 more than in 2024. If the average gap from the first in the race was 30 seconds last year, in this one it was reduced to 13.5. Technical Manager Mikihiko Kawase explained the progress. He came to HRC in 2012 and earned his wings in Moto3 before moving up to the premier class.
Can you tell us a bit about your role in MotoGP?
"Since 2024, I've been MotoGP Technical Manager. My job is to coordinate the work of all the teams and engineers on the track, listen to feedback from the riders, and check all the data. Based on all this information gathered on the track, we try to figure out the direction to go and coordinate with the development team on the areas to work on. With the arrival of Romano Albesiano as technical director, we're working closely to better manage the work carried out during the race weekend and on the development front, with the goal of bringing Honda back to the top."
Are you satisfied with 2025?
"2025 was a very good season, the best for Honda since 2019 in terms of points in the constructors championship. Of course, we have to be satisfied, especially after several very difficult seasons. But, at the end of the day, Honda HRC is in MotoGP to fight for the victory, so we have to keep working and pushing until we get back to consistently fighting in the top positions and battling for the title."
The average gap from first decreased from 30 seconds to 13.5 seconds. What was the main factor that contributed to this result?
"In the last few seasons, we've tried many things on the bike, from an aerodynamic, chassis, and engine point of view. We worked a lot to understand what our limits were. Starting in the second half of 2024, we got a pretty good aerodynamic package, and we were able to find some kind of base to work on for the next steps. In 2025, we continued to work on aerodynamics, chassis, and electronics, but one of the most important steps came from the engine. We not only worked on top speed but also on power delivery, to make it more rideable. As a manufacturer, we're constantly increasing our knowledge and improving our working methods. Every year, the entire group improves, and I have to thank all the engineers on the track, in Japan and Italy, for their efforts in making 2025 a reality. I also have to thank all of our riders who made a great effort on their part to continue to improve their performance and have worked diligently to gather the data we need and test many different elements during race weekends."
Now that Honda is moving from D concessions to C concessions, what does this mean for the future?
"It's the next logical step in our return to the top, something we needed to do. Of course, there are some limitations with the reduction of tires and the absence of factory riders for testing and further limitations in engine development. The test team, strengthened by the addition of Nakagami and Aleix Espargarò, has done a great job this season, and its role will be even more crucial in 2026, since we'll have even less room for doubt when it comes to bringing new parts to a race weekend. Within HRC, we believe that the allocation of development resources between the 2026 and 2027 models will soon become clearer, allowing for better project management and more efficient development."
What are the goals for 2026?
"Our goal is to continue to consistently fight for the top five places, as we did at the end of this year, continuing to improve and fight for the podium whenever possible. MotoGP is always moving forward, everyone is getting faster and faster, so we have to keep working as hard as we can. The 2026 year will be the last of the 1,000 cc engine, and we want to get the best results possible with the Honda RC213V. Development for 2026 is already underway, working to continue to improve and look for more performance in all areas."