Risen from the Ashes": optimism and caution—Honda cannot afford to get it wrong

The charge of Luca Marini and Joan Mir towards the Sepang test: it will be three crucial days for Honda.

The first tests that lead into the new MotoGP season kick off tomorrow (at 3:00 AM CET). A significant 2026 for all teams, but especially for those aiming to climb back up, like Honda. Leaving the lowest tier of concessions implies radical changes, though it must be said that the results achieved by test rider Aleix Espargaro in the Shakedown are encouraging. The real test starts now: they’ll need to confirm they’re on the right path to close out the era of the 1000s in the best possible way. Luca Marini and Joan Mir carry the weight of all the Golden Wing’s expectations; this year the bar is higher after the steady progress shown throughout 2025. Also because there’s a rider market already on fire...

Clearly, you need optimism to start, but with your feet firmly on the ground: Luca Marini emphasized these two aspects on the eve of the official tests in Sepang. What Aleix Espargaro has done helps with the former. “He’s always smiling, he has a very positive attitude,” Marini noted. “And he set an incredible time; 1:57.1 is very quick in Malaysia. He’s really very happy with the bike’s progress.” Of course, this is not the time to declare victory. “We still need to stay very calm, focused on the weak points,” he continued. “Tests always have odd situations; it’s never entirely realistic. Everything will certainly be much clearer after the first day of testing.”

These will be three key days for development, indicative for the first part of the season, the last with 1000cc bikes. “We’ll have to decide what to carry forward. More than lap times, we need to homologate the right things.” In addition to praising Espargaro’s attitude, Marini also wants to highlight the spirit and teamwork shown so far. “I see everyone very focused and at the same time aware that they’ve done a complicated part, that of rising from the ashes, to put it a bit more dramatically. When you start seeing results, you get an extra push: I saw good, positive faces.”

2025 was the year Honda aimed to regain its lost competitiveness; now they’re looking for a significant step forward. Joan Mir has clear ideas for the new racing season: leaving aside the rider market and the frantic hunt for a 2027 contract, the Majorcan above all wants to improve on track. Like his teammate, he shows optimism and caution after the Shakedown with Espargaro. “Compared to last year, Aleix is happier after the tests, so it seems the project is improving further,” he stated. “But we’re cautious. You have to be fast, sure, but in a test you also have conditions you don’t find during a GP, I’m thinking of rubber on the track or temperatures.” The watchwords: keep working as always.

Fully aware, however, that the situation is different now. “Expectations are higher than last year, when the goal was to be competitive at the end of the year,” confirmed the 2020 MotoGP world champion, while noting that “We did it, we showed great potential.” He partly chides himself and the results explain why: he brought Honda HRC back to the podium in 2025, yet in the overall standings he finished behind Marini, who, in addition to injury withdrawals, is still chasing his first podium in those colors. “Consistency was missing, and I need to find it again,” Mir admitted. “But in terms of performance we were always top-6 material, and that’s where I always want to be.”