Honda wouldn't even be in top 10 without MotoGP engine upgrades - Espargaro

Aleix Espargaro says Honda’s 2025 MotoGP engine updates were decisive in keeping the manufacturer competitive, insisting the Japanese brand would not even feature inside the top 10 without them.

As one of the only two brands to enjoy the most generous allowances under MotoGP’s concession systems, Honda was able to introduce a number of new parts to the RC213V throughout the season.

Crucially, Honda was also able to upgrade its previously underpowered engine, while Ducati, Aprilia and KTM were locked into their original specifications due to the engine freeze.

Combined with a strong base bike that it started the campaign with, Honda enjoyed its best MotoGP season in years, winning the rain-hit French Grand Prix and scoring dry-weather podiums at Silverstone, Motegi and Sepang.

It ended the year ahead of its homegrown rival Yamaha in the manufacturer championship, finishing fourth with 285 points, compared to just 75 the previous year.

Espargaro, who joined Honda as a test rider this year after retiring from MotoGP, hailed Honda for the intensive development work it carried out in 2025.

“The tons of material [that we introduced], the hundreds of laps that I did testing things and how much we changed the bike during these last six months, it has been amazing,” he said.

Joan Mir, Honda HRC

Photo by: Steve Wobser / Getty Images

“If I imagine the situation without the test team, [it would be a different situation]. Don't get me wrong, it's not because of me, but because we had the possibility to test many, many, many things. Honda brings many things to Joan [Mir] and Luca [Marini].

“For example, we had three engine updates during the season, and the engine we have now is super fast. Ducati has no option to change the engine. If Joan and Luca were fighting today with the engine of the beginning of the season, [they would] not even [be in the] top 10.”

The first half of the season produced some standout moments for Honda, with LCR rider Johann Zarco most notably delivering it a memorable victory in France, but it was only after the summer break that the factory team began to secure consistent frontrunning results.

A major in-season update transformed Mir and Marini’s fortunes, turning them into regular top-five contenders from the Austrian Grand Prix onwards. Mir shone to finish third on Honda’s home turf in Japan before repeating that result just weeks later in Malaysia. This marked the first time since joining Honda in 2023 that the 2020 world champion appeared genuinely comfortable with the bike.

While Mir credits the behaviour of the updated engine as a major factor in his turnaround, he insists Honda has also made significant gains in other areas.

Asked where Honda has made the biggest improvements to its MotoGP bike, he said: “For me, it is not one thing. In the position that we were in the past, it was not a matter of one thing. It was a matter of improving the aero, improving the engine, improving the grip, improving the electronics, and understanding a bit more of what was happening.

“But the engine delivery and the engine character were something that worked very well for me to make a difference compared to the other Hondas. I'm more sensitive to throttle control. They [other Honda riders] are probably able to handle these things in a better way with less connection, and I struggle more. 

“Then, the feeling with the front to have a better braking stability, even if it's not fantastic, I'm at a good level now.”