Improving the RC213V is a priority and ‘starting point’ for Honda; Puig rejects parallels between Honda’s success in F1 and MotoGP, but…
Alberto Puig has been part of Honda as Team Manager since 2018 and has experienced a bit of everything: from the team’s many victories, especially with Marc Márquez, world titles and more recently in the opposite place, with many difficulties. That’s why he now explains that the manufacturer’s main focus is to improve the bike.
The Spaniard spoke to Motorsport about Honda’s strategy, with Romano Albesiano as a key player, and he explained why the team’s new technical director, ex-Aprilia, has been chosen:
– The only strategy we have defined for ourselves at the moment is to improve the bike. That’s the starting point. To do this, Honda is allocating all the resources at its disposal, both financial and human. That’s why we hired Romano.
Aware of the difficulties, Puig made it clear that the work is daily and gradual: ‘There’s no exact plan; we’re doing everything we can day by day, because we know that our level isn’t what it should be’.
And if the manufacturer can draw a little from its recent experience in the world of four wheels, referring to Formula 1 and the partnership with Red Bull, Puig made it clear that they are two completely different worlds and rejects parallels between the classes: ‘It’s important to clarify one thing: Honda is winning in Formula 1, yes, but a car and a motorcycle are not the same thing. Honda supplies the engines, but Red Bull has a fantastic team that designs the car’.
He concluded: ‘In our case, Honda takes care of the whole bike. It’s a different concept, but both (F1 and MotoGP) are under the HRC umbrella. We’re trying to take advantage of the resources that F1 can offer. It’s something we’re starting to connect’.