Honda aims for victories in 2026

Is there light at the end of the tunnel for Honda? The Japanese manufacturer, which fell from grace with Marc Márquez's recurring injuries and the Spanish rider's departure for Ducati in 2024, seems poised to bounce back after three solid days of testing at Sepang, Malaysia. Joan Mir set the fastest time on the second day and finished in the top 10 on the third day of testing, and Honda appears to have made up most of its lost ground.

The manufacturer with the golden wing had already shown promise at the end of last year, managing to climb from D to C in terms of concessions, mathematical proof of its return to the top ranks, as the rankings are determined by the number of points scored by each brand relative to the total possible points. Alberto Puig, who manages the official Honda team, is approaching the upcoming season with determination, hoping to see Honda win several times, the Japanese brand having returned to victory at the French Grand Prix thanks to Johann Zarco's satellite bike last May.

"We are very satisfied, because we have made great progress on the motorcycle."he said, satisfied, speaking to the microphone of the official website of MotoGP. “We worked on a lot of small details, which together produce good results. It’s not a revolution in the bike, but we improved the areas we knew were weaker on our machine. These small changes make the overall result impressive. The bike handles well, we’re more satisfied with the engine performance, the bike is lighter, and overall it’s faster. We’re happy, but what’s most important is that the riders are happy. The goal is to win as soon as possible, clearly.”

Honda is interested in Quartararo, but nothing is finalized.

The other major attraction of the Sepang tests, again concerning Honda, was the 2027 rider market, which is definitely starting earlier and earlier! Rumors suggested that a signing had already been finalized... fabio quartararoPuig, like the French rider, says it's not done yet, but the profile of the 2021 world champion is bound to attract the Japanese brand.

“For now, I can confirm that everyone is talking to everyone. It’s true that the rider market is starting earlier and earlier, but nothing is finalized yet. The only thing that’s clear for Honda is that we have to support our current riders. That’s what we’re going to do; we’ll start the season and see what happens, but for now, Honda hasn’t defined its 2027 program. Fabio is a fantastic rider, that’s for sure, and Honda will have to analyze at some point what’s best for the team. I think the number one quality for a rider is, first and foremost, speed. Then, there’s a combination that’s quite difficult to achieve, because you need a rider who’s both fast and intelligent. If you find a rider who’s both very fast and intelligent, you don’t need to look any further!”

This is a developing story…

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