Honda advances, the Albesiano method is working: chasing top riders for 2027

The end of the 2025 MotoGP season was positive for Honda, and there seem to be foundations for further growth in the future.

Between the two Japanese MotoGP manufacturers, Yamaha and Honda, the latter appears to have greater potential looking ahead to 2026. The results of the latest championship made it lose the D-rank concessions, moving up to C and thereby having to give up quite a few privileges. However, the HRC team is confident in the quality of the work done in 2025 and believes it doesn’t need special benefits to make another step forward next season.

The arrival of Romano Albesiano as the new technical director brought a new working method, which proved effective over time. Not to mention the additions of Aleix Espargaro and Takaaki Nakagami to the test team: the two experienced riders made an important contribution to the development of the RC213V, a bike that improved in every respect in 2025.

Last Tuesday there was an important test day in Valencia, where Honda did not show up with any particular novelties. Team manager Alberto Puig, interviewed by DAZN, explained the goals and expressed satisfaction with the work done: "We need to find consistency and ensure that the riders can finish races without having to be on the limit every lap, because that leads to crashes and to not being able to qualify well on the grid. We didn’t have much to test, although what we tried seems to work. In principle, the direction is good and we’re happy."

Puig outlined the areas the HRC team focused on during the test and confirmed that the path taken for the future seems the right one: "We tried to improve grip and tested several things on the chassis. I think it went well, and that gives you a certain direction, at least over the winter, knowing that what you did works and allowing you to continue down that path. We’ve gained power—you can tell. We’ll try to find a bit of consistency in our results."

In 2026 the contracts of Luca Marini and Joan Mir will expire, as will those of most riders on the MotoGP grid. Honda will make its evaluations, but it’s safe to assume it will go after a top rider for 2027, the year when the new technical regulations will come into force and Pirelli will replace Michelin as the sole tire supplier.

Names like Pedro Acosta, Fabio Quartararo, and Jorge Martin could be on the shopping list for the Tokyo manufacturer. Some even think there will be an attempt to bring Marc Marquez back home, after Honda granted him an early contract termination to allow him to join the Gresini team’s Ducati. HRC wants to put itself in a position to be attractive, and in 2025 it charted a path that should lead to further growth next year.