Why there's more to Honda's 2023 MotoGP bike than the Valencia test suggests

After testing the 2023 prototype that Honda took to the Valencia test after the MotoGP season finale, Marc Marquez warned that "you can't fight for the championship" with that bike. This led everyone to think that HRC had made a mistake. That idea, however, has its nuances.

The first day of pre-season testing for the 2023 MotoGP season left the general impression that the version of the Honda prototype tested in Valencia did not measure up to what six-time premier class world champion Marquez was hoping for after a difficult 2022.

Marquez appeared before the media visibly disappointed. Both his body language and the arguments he used emanated pessimism and set off alarm bells. "This is not enough to win," the eight-time grand prix world champion stated, projecting many doubts about the potential of the new RC213V.

Earlier this year, following a fourth operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020, the Spaniard paid a visit to the paddock at the Red Bull Ring while he was still recovering. There, he verbalised what was, in his opinion, the root of the stagnation which was propelling Honda to its second winless season in three years.

"The problem is not the bike, but the project," Marquez said. "The information has to flow in the right way. The important thing is to understand the direction we need to take. When I talk about changing, I mean the concept, the coordination."

He made these demands public at Spielberg, even though he had already commented on them internally in Italy before travelling to the United States to undergo the latest surgery. The response of the Tokyo manufacturer had been to send Shinichi Kokubu, Honda's development director, to the following race in Barcelona to assume 'in situ' leadership of the project over Tetsuhiro Kuwata, HRC's general manager, and Takeo Yokoyama, its technical director.

Honda's initial 2023 prototype hardly filled Marc Marquez with optimism for the new year

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It so happens that Shinya Wakabayashi, general manager of the company's racing division, also appeared at the test at Ricardo Tormo after the Valencia Grand Prix earlier this month.

"They came to listen. And the important thing is that the person in charge of each area did that to understand where to focus the work this winter. Before, there was one person (referring to Yokoyama) who took notes and passed them on to the rest; this time each manager came, and they all understood that we have to go a step further," explained Marquez.

Kokubu, Wakabayashi and Kuwata have taken the reins of the new project demanded by Marquez, with Yokoyama taking a step aside that might even keep him away from racing next season.

"One of the points to improve quite a bit is the traction level. There we can take a step, especially because of the comment left by [Joan] Mir and [Alex] Rins" Marc Marquez

After the Misano test in early September, development of the prototype intensified. However, two months was not enough time to be able to move the number of components required for a change of such dimensions to Valencia, although new parts were tested. Honda asked its #93 rider to be patient and hold out until February's tests in Malaysia, where the bike will receive something more in line with the new concept.

"It wasn't what I expected, but they already told me that they were going to take one more step to Malaysia compared to Valencia. One more step is not enough, they have to take two," warned the Catalan.

Both the rider and Alberto Puig, HRC team manager, recognise that Honda has reacted and has got down to work: "There is no doubt that they have been working hard in Japan. That's clear and we know that, but unfortunately we still haven't found the right direction," lamented the executive, reinforcing the impression that the 2023 bike is a fiasco.

At this point, one wonders: has Honda made a mistake (again)?

Marquez has put pressure on Honda to step up its game for next season

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"You have to understand the riders. Marc has been tough, but that's part of his job. He puts pressure on Honda to step up development," a member of the team explained to Autosport on Tuesday at the end of the test day.

One of the details consistent with that opinion is that Marquez did not look for a fast lap at any point during the day. He did 50 laps (the least) and didn't use the soft rear tyre to look for the limit. He finished 13th, six tenths behind Luca Marini, who led the field. Had he used a soft tyre and a time attack setup, he would probably have cut his time by at least four tenths, a reduction that would have put him in the top three. However, that would not have helped to get his message across to Honda.

"The bike is better than the 2022 bike. The engine is a bit more powerful and brakes well. But it still lacks rear-wheel drive, as was the case with the previous one," adds the same source from the technical area of the project.

The RC213V of 2023 will only be considered a good bike if it is able to fight with the Ducati, which is the benchmark of the grid. The Desmosedici has always stood out for its power and speed on the straights, but the competition has reduced the gap in that department. Now, the Italian machine manages to get out of the corners with better traction than its rivals, and that is where it makes the difference and has become the most versatile tool of its era.

Joan Mir, the new Repsol Honda rider, was able to test three bikes at Valencia: the 2022 machine, the one from the Misano test and, at the last minute, when Marquez decided to call it a day, the 2023 bike. "At first he was a bit surprised at how the bike was going, but his comment about the engine was that he didn't feel it was as aggressive as he expected," highlights someone dressed in HRC uniform to Autosport.

This can be interpreted as a good sign if we take into account that the 2020 world champion has very fresh feelings on the Suzuki, one of the most user-friendly bikes in recent years.

Joan Mir has been able to compare Suzuki's project to Honda's after his Valencia run

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Although Mir was unable to speak after the test due to the fact that his link with the Hamamatsu factory does not expire until 31 December, Marquez did hint that Mir pointed to traction as one of the points where there is more room for evolution, especially compared to the GSX-RR.

"One of the points to improve quite a bit is the traction level. There we can take a step, especially because of the comments left by Mir and [Alex] Rins. For the engineers it is important that fresh riders from another factory arrive, one of them the winner of the last race," said Marquez at an event where he was able to test the renewable fuel produced by Repsol that will enter the scene in 2024.

That event took place two days after the aforementioned test at Valencia, and Marquez considerably softened the tone of his statements: "The test at Valencia was a precise training, where comments and indications were given, and I think that in general it was good, because what was tested was a small step forward. But it is clear that Honda must continue working to have a more competitive set-up," he concluded.

Marquez left aside the negative tone and opened a small light at the end of the tunnel: "Anger and threats are not good because they lead to panic. Honda's level of commitment is 10; the reaction in Valencia was seen with many engineers inside the box. We will see the final step in February. My confidence in Honda is total, I am convinced that I am in the best factory in the world and the only one that can turn a situation like this around," said Marquez, focused on laying the foundations of his reconquest.

And we'll soon see if Honda is able to help him do that.

Will Marquez be pleased with Honda's next round of changes?

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