Despite the new concession development system, Honda and Yamaha have yet to return to success in MotoGP in 2024. It’s been more than a year since a Japanese manufacturer has claimed victory in the premier class.
Clearly inferior to the European manufacturers (Aprilia, Ducati, and KTM), they still need time to leverage the advantages provided by their extra concessions. After all, developing a competitive bike is a lengthy process that involves trial and error, as well as time for designing and producing solutions.
Meanwhile, the arduous journey continues, with Honda and Yamaha riders limited in their ambitions on the track. In most Grands Prix, scoring points is an achievement for Honda, while Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo occasionally manages to reach the top ten.
Podiums and victories, however, remain distant goals. In terms of wins, it has been 496 days since a Japanese bike stood on the top step of the podium in a main race. The last time this happened was Álex Rins’ victory with LCR Honda at the Grand Prix of the Americas last year — so, for one year and four months. Yamaha is enduring an even longer drought, having not won in 797 days since Fabio Quartararo took the top step of the podium at the 2022 German Grand Prix.
Both Honda and Yamaha are responding with significant internal changes: Honda is reportedly working on establishing a European base in Milan, while Yamaha has already hired top European technicians like Max Bartolini. Now, it’s a matter of time before the results of this work become evident.
It’s unlikely that the «calvary» of the Japanese manufacturers will last forever. MotoGP operates in cycles. Aprilia’s example shows that with hard work and persistence, it’s possible to bounce back. Until 2021, few could have imagined the Noale-based manufacturer fighting at the front, and now they are competing with KTM and Ducati in the top ranks.