Honda adds Ducati-like MotoGP winglets for Argentina, seeks approval

Ducati ran winglets on the bottom of all three of its 2019-spec bikes in the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix, and although its design had been seemingly cleared for use by series technical director Danny Aldridge, it was protested by four rival manufacturers.

The case went to the FIM Court of Appeals, which held a hearing last Friday and subsequently declared the device legal on Tuesday.

Honda was among the manufacturers protesting the appendage, but Autosport has learned that it has rushed through a similar design following the decision, and has brought it to the second round of the 2019 championship at the Termas de Rio Hondo venue.

The manufacturer's engineers went to see Aldridge at the track on Thursday, looking to have its version approved for track use.

But, when speaking to the media on Thursday, both Honda rider Marc Marquez and his team boss Alberto Puig said they did not know whether Honda would be running a Ducati-like winglet any time soon.

Marquez said: "I know Honda and for sure they are trying to analyse, they are trying to understand what is the function specifically, and where you can improve with that, and I'm sure that all the manufacturers will try.

"But I think this spoiler is not giving a lot of tenths [of laptime]."

Puig added: "Honda is a company that's always thinking and developing new ideas, but at this moment we are just trying to think what is best.

"Of course we are not sleeping, but for now we are like we are."

Puig also stated that Honda did not agree with the decision to allow the continued use of the Ducati aerodynamic device, but that it has accepted the Court of Appeals' ruling.

"We are happy that we made the appeal," he said. "Because we believed and we thought, and we think, that it was not in the rulebook.

"But on the other hand we accept the jury decision, of course. And that's it."