Next season’s world championship has officially got underway at Valencia. The 2023 prototypes are out on track for the first time. Honda, a team that very much needs to shake things up and work to improve, does not appear to be on the right path as yet, with Marc Marquez having this to say: “I expected a lot more from the new bike. It’s not too different to the 2022 version. Perhaps we have slightly better feeling at the front. And the same goes for the engine, perhaps a little more torque, but just a little. And this doesn’t make a big difference in terms of performance. We have some updates here, new aerodynamics and new frames. We need to focus on finding more character. I didn’t attempt a time attack today because we wouldn’t have been up to the task.”
Japanese engineers in the garage
For this all-important test at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, Honda has brought staff from Japan as it turns its attention to improving development. “There were a lot of Japanese in the garage today”, comments Marc, “and I appreciate that because we can interact better this way. We need various things, like more engine and horsepower and better braking.”
As for the current situation, the Spaniard continues, “I want to think that this is nevertheless a step forward towards future improvement. We’re going in the right direction, but there’s more to do.”