Shake-up in the Honda garage: the Gigi Dall'Igna temptation, Alberto Puig 'out'

MotoGP teams are preparing for the major changes expected in 2027, with new prototypes set to reshuffle the deck. In the spotlight is Honda, the great Japanese giant looking to climb back up after seven years without a world title. A lot could change within the team’s organizational chart, starting from the top management.

According to increasingly insistent rumors coming from the paddock, HRC is considering a deep reorganization of its MotoGP squad. After several seasons spent fighting at the back in a bid to reclaim the throne, patience at the Saitama headquarters may have reached its limit. The pieces of the puzzle are starting to move, and everything suggests that the changes won’t be limited to the riders or the components of the RC213V. In the crosshairs may be a figure considered untouchable until just a few days ago: Alberto Puig.

Ricard Jové, one of the most experienced and well-informed voices in MotoGP, revealed that an earthquake could be coming at the managerial level. The team manager has been the face of the squad through good times and bad. However, his continued tenure is more uncertain than ever. The reasons may not be strictly professional. The former rider’s health is a determining factor in this situation. Alberto Puig is still dealing with the serious accident he suffered at Le Mans in 1995, which nearly cost him a leg and required numerous surgeries.

As the years go by, the baton may be passed, but there is no clear name yet. It’s not an easy task: keeping order in the garage during a transition toward the new MotoGP era. Moreover, there will also be a new rider lineup from 2027. Fabio Quartararo is almost certain to arrive to try to spark a turnaround and bring the Winged marque back to triumph after the golden years signed by Marc Marquez.

There could be more brewing at Honda. The manufacturer from the Land of the Rising Sun is reportedly considering a key engineering figure who could provide the right input for a return to the top. In the past, there has been much talk of Gigi Dall’Igna who, after winning so much with Ducati, might be looking for new professional challenges.

The arrival of Romano Albesiano as Technical Director was the first major signal of Honda’s intention to change its DNA. Traditionally, the brand has always relied on its in-house engineering in Japan, but today’s MotoGP reality requires an agility that European manufacturers manage better. If Honda decided to move much of its development work to Europe, the hierarchical structure we know today would disappear, giving way to different figures than those in place now.

Meanwhile, work is also underway on the acquisition of another satellite team, Tech3, although the feat is not easy. KTM cannot afford the “luxury” of racing without a satellite team, especially at a time when rule changes demand mountains of data for prototype development. Eyes are also on Diogo Moreira, who could step directly into the factory team alongside Quartararo. In the coming weeks, the HRC “revolution” could take on more defined contours. What now seems almost certain is the farewell of Luca Marini and Joan Mir.

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