MotoGP News: Insider Claims Honda Could Receive Big Boost As Yamaha Expands Lineup

Saajan Jogia | Jul 16, 2024

Apr 13, 2024; Austin, TX, USA; Johann Zarco (5) of France and LCR Honda Castrol and Brad Binder (33) of South Africa and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rides during practice for the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Castrol Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco is looking forward to Yamaha's expansion of its lineup to four bikes in MotoGP next year, seeing it as a boost for Honda to intensify its efforts to close the gap at the front. He believes the move by his former team Pramac to align with Yamaha as a satellite team from 2025 will not only strengthen the outfit's position but also encourage the Japanese squad to up their ante.

Pramac ended its 20-year association with Ducati to partner with Yamaha, a team whose position had weakened due to the lack of a satellite team in MotoGP. Now though, it will receive a significant boost by having four bikes on the grid in 2025.

The decision follows a period when both Yamaha and Honda struggled against their rivals in MotoGP. Compounding their challenges was the new concession system, which failed to provide the much-needed boost, leading to a mid-season stagnation in their progress.

Zarco feels Pramac's association with Yamaha will not only benefit Yamaha but also help maintain the balance of power on the grid, considering the dominance Ducati currently enjoys in the season. In addition, the increase of Yamaha bikes on the grid will also motivate Honda to improve its position in the sport. Speaking to the media, he explained:

“It will be good for the Yamaha project. They need more bikes to develop and get more information. 

“It's good to get more Japanese bikes in the championship because now the European bikes, the Ducati, [they] get too much advantage so it finds a little bit better balance. And I hope that the Japanese will reduce the gap with the Ducati.

“[With] Marc and Pecco for next year in the top team, they will be impossible to reach and they will fly all year. 

“But at least from third position to the 10th position, there will be some changes and that will be good. 

“And I think Yamaha doing improvements and getting more bikes on the grid will push Honda also to make the changes or push themselves to find solutions.”

With its best finish being P12 in the first nine Grands Prix of the season and with 24 points in the championship, Honda seems to be lagging behind the pack by quite a margin. As per Zarco, the only solution that remains is to introduce a new bike since the existing version of the RC213V has reached its limit. He added:

“[We are] still too far. The bike is still not competitive enough to make a step in the top 10.

“I look forward to a new bike that will give this performance. I try at the moment to improve myself and this [Sachsenring] weekend I could try to use the strong points of the bike because there are some areas where the bike is not too bad and I tried to use it to the maximum.

“I don't know [when the new bike will arrive]. But I wait. I don't want to know [when it will it arrive] because it will not change my concentration for all the races. But at least I would like to [do] as well as possible over what I have control.”