Honda’s fortunes in 2025 were a ♒key topic o♔n the latest Crash MotoGP podcast.

Honda have appointed Romano Albesiano as new technical director, 🌄and have Aleix Espargaro and Takaaki Nakagami as test riders.

Their factory duo will again be 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Luca Marini and Joan Mir - who badly struggled in 2024 - while LCR’s 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Johann Zarco will be joined by rookie 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Somkiat Chantra.

But t💎he pro🦩blems at the manufacturer are at a higher level, our experts explained.

📖“They seem to lack a ‘head coach’ figure, like Max Bartolini has become [for Yamaha]. Hondaꦦ don’t seem to have that,” Lewis Duncan told our podcast.

“They have a bulldog in Alberto Puig who defends the rider and the situation, but not someone who ca𝔍n unify the riders.

“Joan Mir is miserable all the time. Why did he sign a new contract? He says that he didn’t want to leave it on that note. But if he’s not enjoying it and is being negativꦬe al🦂l the time…

“Honda doesn’t have a leader. Maybe Johann Zarco fills that role, he was better spoken t𒈔han their other riders, more level-headed and certainly more competitive.

“It’s hard to know where Honda go, and what impact Romano Albesiano can have. The base package had nothing to do with him so h🔯e’ll have to spend time untangling it.

“I don’t see Honda making tangi🗹ble steps this year. There were little signs of progress towards the end of last year, but only for Zarco.

“I think✨ if Honda can be i♈n the points every weekend, it will be a success. But to get to the level that Yamaha might be at? Difficult.”

Honda told about key area to improve

Peter McLaren adde𒀰d: “How will much influence will Albesiano and Aleix h🎉ave on the bike?

“It’s one thing to bring people in. Honda hired a lot ꦫof engineers, they work with Kalex, but it hasn’t transformed the fortunes of the bike.

“The key for Honda to begin with will be not to take a 💯step backwards, like last year. That’s what ruined ꦦthe first half of last season, the wrong direction in testing.

“If🦩 they can, at least, pick up where they left off…

“Riders with 𝔍more experience of the bike - Zarco and Marini - should also help.

“Marc Marquez was asked ‘what’s the difference between Ducati and Honda as a factory ride꧃r?’

“He said ‘communication🎶’. Gigi Dall’Igna ties all the things together at Ducati.

“It’s these areas tꦯhat Honda need to make a step i🍌n.

“Iꩲt comes down to what foundation th🌌ey have after testing. Aleix has already been testing this year, and he had a few last year.

“💫We’ll know after Buriram and Sepang what kind of step. Will they m💝ake a leap forward?

“Maybe there is something [that Albesiano can do] by looking at t🌌he bike, saying ‘do it like this’, which will giv🥂e them a couple of tenths per lap. It’s possible.

“The𒈔 top Honda in 12th-place in the championship would be a good result. Zarco was 17th [last year].

“You can always have one-off results in MotoGP, we saw it ༺with Alex Rins at COTA.

“But realistically they🏅’ve got to look at step-by-step. But, the first thing, is not to take a step back…”