Honda has introduced a revamped engine configuration for this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, marking a significant step in their quest to recover from a challenging MotoGP season. While the new engine is seen as a positive development, the Honda riders are tempering expectations about immediate performance gains.
The Japanese manufacturer has been under pressure to improve its competitiveness, and the new engine is part of a broader update plan for the European races. LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami and HRC’s Luca Marini and Joan Mir are the first to test the new engine at Spielberg, with potential variations among them.
Johann Zarco, who has experimented with a different, more powerful engine configuration, will stick with his current setup to gather more data.
While the new engine is a welcome addition for Honda, which has been slower than competitors like Yamaha in developing upgrades, riders remain cautious about its impact on speed. Luca Marini described the new engine as a "little upgrade" rather than a substantial improvement, acknowledging that while it’s a step in the right direction, it won’t dramatically change Honda's performance.
Joan Mir, on the other hand, is more optimistic about the engine's potential but emphasizes that it will require time to understand and optimize. He believes it's a crucial step in determining the correct development path for Honda.
The decision to introduce different engine configurations among Honda riders reflects the team's ongoing search for the optimal setup. Mir hopes that the new engine will provide a clearer direction for future development.
Honda faces a challenging task in closing the gap to the front-running teams. While the new engine is a step forward, it's clear that sustained development and refinement will be necessary to achieve consistent competitiveness.
