If you had to guess in 2019 that Honda would skip testing a new MotoGP prototype during the vital Barcelona tests, it would’ve been stunning. But when it was known that it was in a way a reality it is… a disappointment. Honda’s current state makes it hard to care about the brand anymore—not because of its storied legacy, but because of what it’s doing to its riders, or some might say so.
The worst time to ride for Honda in MotoGP
Being a Honda MotoGP rider in the modern era has never been tougher. Despite having some of the best talent on the grid—Joan Mir, a World Champion as recently as 2020—the manufacturer seems utterly unable, or unwilling, to support them with the tools they need.
Mir’s feedback from the Barcelona tests was damning. Instead of trying a new prototype for 2025, Mir was retesting parts he’s already evaluated multiple times this season: ‘The reality is that I didn’t have a lot of things to test, I had already tested everything before. I’ve done 70 laps with things I’ve tested at least twice’.
The testing setup, ironically, illustrates Honda’s current paradox. As a manufacturer with concessions, Honda has more resources to develop its bike than almost anyone else on the grid. For example, while Ducati is capped at 170 tires for testing, Honda can use 260. Yet, Mir burned through 70 tires for tests that provided no real progress.
The questionable logic behind «skipping» Barcelona
Barcelona, which hosted the final race of the 2024 season, would have been the perfect place to test a new prototype. Riders would have immediate comparisons between the 2024 bike raced on Sunday and the new machine tested just days later.
Yet Honda opted out, citing an odd rationale. According to HRC boss Alberto Puig: ‘As we have done so many tests during the year, it didn’t make sense to bring the prototype here. During the year we have been trying many things, and it didn’t make sense to bring a ‘black’ bike here, when we have had a ‘black’ bike for a large part of the year.’
This raises the question: is Honda so satisfied with its current development that it feels no need to test further—or does it simply have nothing new to test? Puig’s additional comments suggest the latter: ‘The 2025 prototype is built when you have something that fits you’.
It seems that Honda doesn’t have a 2025 prototype at all, and the decision to skip meaningful testing reflects not strategy, but stagnation.
What Is Hsonda’s plan?
Honda’s reluctance to innovate begs the question: what’s the big picture here? Is there a hidden master plan, or is the team running on fumes, resigned to just fulfilling contractual obligations until something shifts?
There are a few possibilities:
- Honda is simply biding its time: With MotoGP set to introduce new rules in 2027, Honda may be focusing its resources on designing a competitive bike for that future era, effectively writing off the next two years.
- Quietly winding down: Could Honda’s non-committal approach hint at a deeper withdrawal from MotoGP after 2025? The thought is unsettling for fans but aligns with their current lack of urgency.
- A sudden comeback: Perhaps the manufacturer is preparing an unexpected turnaround and is playing its cards close to the chest. Unlikely, given the current trajectory, but we can hope.
What comes next?
For now, fans and riders alike are left in the dark about Honda’s true intentions. What’s certain is that time is running out for a team once considered synonymous with MotoGP dominance. Unless Honda delivers an engineering masterstroke for 2025, its current treatment of riders and lack of competitive spirit could mark a historic low for the manufacturer.
But what do you think? Is Honda building something extraordinary behind closed doors, or is this the beginning of the end for one of MotoGP’s greatest names? Let the debate begin.