It’s not just in MotoGP that Honda is facing difficult times. In the World Superbike Championship, results have also been slow to come, despite the current factory team’s project having started in 2019.
Competing regularly for podiums and wins is not possible yet, and indeed, last weekend the manufacturer achieved its best result of the year, with Iker Lecuona finishing fourth, just over a second off the podium, with only four rounds left to race.
According to the podcast Mister Helmet, the team may undergo a deep restructuring for 2025, involving everything from mechanics to logistics. The HRC structure for WSBK is based in Spain, and the fear of this happening is strong and real.
Persistent but unconfirmed rumors suggest that Honda UK could take over. It has been doing a good job in the British Superbike Championship (BSB) and other high-level competitions in the UK. Havier Beltran is the team manager for Honda UK.
While it’s not yet certain that the entire management of Honda in WSBK will undergo this 180º revolution under British control, there will undoubtedly be some considerable changes in the structure.
More than just sporting performance, this is a matter of management and administrative performance—speculation suggests that Honda’s patience in Japan has run out in this regard.