Some say the tide is turning in the MotoGP, that the Japanese are tired of losing and want to show their full force in 2027, aided by the change in regulations. A few years ago, no one would've expected Honda and Yamaha to play the role of Cinderella in the MotoGP. But that's what happened. In 2025, the two companies were at the bottom of the constructors standings: Honda scored 285 points, Yamaha 247. Ducati ended the championship with 768, Aprilia with 418, KTM (in the midst of a financial crisis) with 372.
Adding insult to injury, the concessions, which were created to help small European manufacturers in the past, have been a crutch for the giants of the "Land of the Rising Sun". Honda only managed to get out of that situation in the last race.
The results of recent years are there for all to see. The official HRC team hasn't won a race since Marc Marquez left, and they had to rely on LCR in Tokyo to see their bike on the top step of the podium. Yamaha's last victory dates back to 2022, thanks to Quartararo at the Sachsenring. You have to take a look at the statistics to remember that.
Undeniably, the Japanese haven't kept pace with the Europeans, who have smaller but more responsive racing departments, with less money and more imagination. It's no coincidence that Ducati and Aprilia have presented innovations in recent years, with a lower suspension and "ground effect" aerodynamics, just to name a couple.
Honda and Yamaha realized late that they were losing ground, but they took remedial action. They understood that if you can't beat your enemy... you have to make friends with them. Romano Albesiano and Max Bartolini as technical directors of Honda and Yamaha are just the tip of the iceberg. The Japanese were humble and intelligent enough to realize that they needed a different way of thinking and working.
The results are now visible. Honda lost concessions, while Yamaha is in the midst of a technical revolution that has led it to abandon its historic in-line 4-cylinder engine. Paolo Pavesio - with understandable pride - pointed out that, at the end of November, they only had two M1 V4s in the Valencia tests while, two months later in Malaysia, they had ten. Aleix Espargarò set the fastest time in the Shakedown with the RC213V but, above all, HRC has been testing extensively at Sepang in recent weeks, as well-informed sources have revealed.
This doesn't mean that the two Japanese manufacturers are ready to fight for the title in 2026. Honda lacks a true top rider, Yamaha a bike. In 2027, however, both might have exceeded their limits.
Money also counts in racing, and the two companies know it. In fact, Honda is using this weapon on the market. It wanted to bring Marquez back to the team and pair him with Acosta, but Ducati threw a spanner in the works. However, Honda didn't give up. On the contrary, it raised the stakes. Quartararo should be with them, and they've made offers to virtually all the top riders, including Bezzecchi. Yamaha hasn't stood idly by either, and Martin is expected to join them, too. But that's not all, because Bagnaia is still available, and both teams are interested in him.
IWhat's clear is that, for Honda and Yamaha, the time for playing defense is over, and they're going on the attack. The Japanese flag will be flying on the new MotoGP. Nobody likes to lose.