Current Honda MotoGP bike ‘good enough to have fun on, but not enough to win with’

Honda MotoGP test rider Aleix Espargaro says the 2025 RC213V is currently “good enough to have fun on, but not good enough to win with”.

The Japanese manufacturer has made a strong start to 2025 off the back of one of its weakest campaigns ever in MotoGP last year.

It currently sits second in the constructors’ standings, with Johann Zarco sixth in the rider points having scored its first top five in two years last time out at the Qatar Grand Prix.

There is a sense in the paddock that Honda could be fighting for regular podiums by the end of this season if it continues its current progress, which has been bolstered by the arrival of Romano Albesiano as technical director.

Espargaro, who joined Honda as a test rider for 2025 following his retirement from full-time racing, will make a wildcard appearance on the RC213V this weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix.

He has been pleased to hear comments from Honda riders on how fun the bike is now to ride, but accepts there is still work to do yet.

“I’m really happy, and the results are obviously clear,” Espargaro told MotoGP’s Gear Up programme on Thursday at Jerez.

“It’s the way you prove that the bike is competitive. But also to hear some interviews with [Joan] Mir and Luca [Marini] that they are having fun again riding the bike after a long time, this makes me very happy.

“During the winter with Romano Albesiano we just tried to put the puzzle together.

“We had a lot of stuff, a lot of chassis, different engine configurations and different aerodynamics, and we tried to make a puzzle and make the best base to start the season.

“I think the base we have right now is good enough to have fun, but not good enough to win. So, we need to keep working.”

‘Mixing cultures’ key to Honda’s future MotoGP success

It has often been said that Honda’s decline in recent years has been down to a stubborn culture holding it back from taking risks in the same way European manufacturers have.

Having spent eight years with Aprilia, Espargaro doesn’t believe this is a problem Honda faces but acknowledges it will benefit from “mixing cultures”.

“I don’t think that was Honda’s problem,” he said.

“Actually, when I rode the bike for the first time in Barcelona [in the test last November] it was a big mess because I didn’t know which bike I was riding, my bike was completely different to the others.

“They really can’t wait to be back on the winning times, so they are working hard, producing a lot of stuff, but maybe it’s not the right way.

“You have to go step by step. With Romano we are trying to mix the cultures.

“The Japanese culture, I love it, it’s - for me - the best one to work with. But sometimes you need the push, you need some fresh ideas from the European mentality and this is what we are trying to do, to mix both.”

For his Jerez wildcard, Espargaro has “a lot of new stuff” on his bike to try, which will be tested on Monday by the race riders.

“Honda is not stopping, the goal is clear,” he added.

“They are fully motivated to win again. So, my RCV will not be the same as Joan and Luca’s during this weekend.

“I have a lot of new stuff and hopefully I can prove it’s a little bit more competitive and I can receive it in the near future.”