Alberto Puig analyzes Honda’s ongoing form crisis and reveals how the manufacturer intends to achieve a turnaround – also with the help of concessions
Last year, Honda finished the Constructors’ Championship of the MotoGP season in last place for the second year in a row – a new low in the Japanese manufacturer’s ongoing form crisis. It also had to cope with the departure of its former title guarantor Marc Marquez.
In order to find a way out of the crisis, some restructuring has taken place in the background. With Luca Marini, a new rider is on board who can provide fresh input. And MotoGP has agreed on concessions for struggling manufacturers, which Honda will use – for example in the form of more private tests.
“Honda’s top priority is to improve the bike. We need to have a competitive bike again, like we had years ago,” says Team Manager Alberto Puig in an interview with the Spanish sports newspaper Marca.
He was able to see some progress at the post-season test in Valencia at the end of November, but Puig knows that it will still take time, even if the concessions will allow the team to progress a little quicker.
Back in shape faster thanks to concessions?
“The level is very high,” says the experienced Honda team manager, adding: “Obviously the concessions will be a big help. If the normal recovery time was, let’s say, a year, with the concessions you can do it in half a year, in six months.”
“You need at least a whole year to get a bike to a level that is roughly the same. It’s true that if you lose a little technical knowledge, it’s very difficult to regain it.”
“That’s why we believe that these concessions are good for us and that they give us the opportunity to shorten the time,” Puig continued. “Whether it will be two years, a year and a half or a year, I don’t know. But it’s certainly not two months. “
Honda wants to learn from European manufacturers
The Spaniard has no doubt that Honda will make it – even if it may have to break new ground. “Honda is the biggest motorcycle manufacturer, it sells more than 25 million motorcycles a year. I think the second manufacturer sells six or seven. Honda is Honda, point number one. “
“And point number two: in MotoGP, we must now recognize that the European manufacturers have taken a very important step forward, with a very aggressive policy in terms of technical development, the recruitment of technicians, they push the envelope in everything.”
“What is this good for?” asks Puig and provides the answer: “To understand that perhaps we need to change the way we do things, and that is exactly what we are doing.”
“We are working in a different way, with a different restructuring, but always with the awareness that Honda is Honda in the end.” As far as the role of Head of Engineering is concerned, Honda remained true to itself and recruited a Japanese internally
Gigi Dall’Igna/Ducati also came knocking
This does not mean, however, that the team did not put out feelers in another direction – towards Ducati and technical guru Gigi Dall’Igna. Asked about this, Puig says: “Various options were examined, but not just these.”
With Shin Sato, a new man has been named for the role of technical director. But Honda’s team manager explains: “The options are still being examined and we are open to others, not just individuals but also technical consultancies, to see where we can get the best ideas. “
When asked if Honda could afford another unsuccessful year in MotoGP, Puig concludes: “If you look at history, every company goes through certain phases. Honda has also had some low points. In the world of racing, nothing is linear, upwards, exponential.”
“When Ducati started, nothing happened for a few years. And they had concessions. Of course it’s not good if you don’t get results, but it’s worse not to fix this situation. And we are trying to change this,” says Puig.
“We have not succeeded, right, but it would be worse to do nothing and we are doing something, trying to restructure things. We are not there yet. “