LCR team owner Lucio Cecchinello has revealed that Honda is “more determined than ever” to return to competitiveness in MotoGP.
In 2024, the Japanese marque recorded its worst season in the premier class after all four riders failed to secure a single podium.
LCR rider Johann Zarco finished as the highest Honda, finishing a distant 17th in the 2024 championship, having acquired just 55 points.
But in 2025, it’s safe to say the outfit has made drastic improvements to the bike, resulting in Zarco acquiring 38 points from the first four races.
In addition, Honda HRC rider Luca Marini has already surpassed his 2024 points tally, currently sitting 10th in the standings ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Cecchinello stated that the team’s mindset hasn’t changed behind the scenes as it looks to end its three-year winless drought.
“Honda is now taking advantage of the rank-D concessions and testing is ongoing tirelessly,” he explained to GPOne.
“Just this week, [test riders] Aleix Esparargo and Stefan Bradl tested in Jerez.
“I don’t know if and when development parts will be available. But I can confirm that Honda is more determined than ever to climb back up in the rankings.”
LCR: Qatar data confirms ‘the true improvements’ of the bike
Cecchinello noted that the characteristics of the Qatar circuit showcased the progress Honda achieved over the winter.
Despite a straight-line deficit to Ducati and KTM, losing a recorded 0.2s per lap, this confidence means Honda is making the relevant steps in fast-flowing circuits.
“Honestly, Qatar was an important event for us, because we now better understand the true improvements to our bike,” he began.
“I’ll try to explain the situation. Today [in MotoGP], aerodynamic effects play a key role in competitiveness, for example, in the speed with which riders enter corners.
“And the Lusail circuit is a flowing track with many fast corners. Marc Marquez’s pole time was an average of 175.2 km/h, because there are no hairpins or stop-and-go corners.
“And we received important confirmation in Doha that we can get closer to our opponents on tracks like these.”
He isn’t worried about the upcoming races in Jerez and Le Mans, downplaying any performance deficit by explaining, ‘Honda weren’t far behind the competition when it came to slow corners.'”
