Honda has been testing privately in Barcelona since the USA race – According to Joan Mir, it was not a positive test – He emphasizes that the concept of the current RC213V is wrong
Honda also had no chance at the US Grand Prix. This was interesting because the Circuit of The Americas was still a good track for the RC213V in previous years. “There is currently no area where we have any advantage,” Joan Mir told the bitter truth. “We are pretty lost. “
In the week after Austin, Mir and Luca Marini traveled to Spain to test privately at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. “We tested last Friday in Barcelona, but to be honest it wasn’t a positive test,” said Mir.
“We tried a few things that we asked for. But it was important that they now know which direction we need to take in order to take the next step.” Statements that have often been heard from the Honda riders.
Marini specifies the problem: “We are missing so much in the middle of the corner. We lose a lot at the corner entry, in the middle and at the beginning of the corner exit. Since the winter tests, we have been working on finding the good corner entry again.”
“Because that has been the Honda’s strength in recent years.” A strength that Honda has lost with the current bike. According to Mir, there is also a lack of grip. Honda has tried a lot in recent weeks, but has gone round in circles.
“We lost this strength at the Sepang test, but it’s getting worse,” Mir says plainly. “The concept of this bike is not right at the moment. I can’t talk about it in detail. We have to change the concept.”
No new engine was used at the Barcelona test. “We tested a different bike, but the concept was the same,” Mir continued. “I didn’t ride that many laps.” Now the Spanish Grand Prix is on the agenda.
Is Jerez a test weekend or a race weekend for Honda? “No, it’s a race weekend,” says Marini. “On Monday we will change our mentality and try out a lot of parts.”
Because there is an official test day for all teams in Jerez on Monday. “We have to understand what works well and how everything works together. We have changed a lot on the bike. After the Barcelona test, we understood some important things again.”
“Monday’s test will be a crucial moment,” Marini therefore believes. “We are working on so many things and have to put everything together. But the problem is time. When you test, you only have a certain number of tires.”
“You can only ride a certain number of laps. If you make big changes to the bike, it can take an hour. That’s why we need more test days.” Honda is undergoing a lengthy process to make the RC213V competitive
While Marini remains optimistic, Mir is more pessimistic about Monday’s test. “We will probably test a first idea of what we can do on Monday. But that won’t be the step,” said the former world champion.
Honda and the LCR team, which did not take part in the private test in Barcelona, will also be joined in Jerez by test rider Stefan Bradl, who will be competing with the first of six possible wildcards this year.
Will we see any major changes to his bike? “I don’t know exactly what Stefan will be riding here,” says Mir, “because there was a plan before the Barcelona test. After the test, this plan was probably changed. “
