The Honda MotoGP bike strength that “is also a little bit our weakness”

Factory Honda MotoGP rider Luca Marini says the 2025 RC213V’s strength lies in its user-friendliness, but this is also cause of a weakness in the bike.

After several difficult seasons struggling to break out of the lower half of the MotoGP field, Honda is enjoying a much stronger 2025.

Its two-year victory drought was ended by LCR’s Johann Zarco at the French Grand Prix, with the 35-year-old adding a dry rostrum at the British Grand Prix to his credit a few weeks later.

After 14 rounds, Honda is just 40 points down on Aprilia in the battle for runner-up spot in the constructors’ standings.

Across its stable, Honda has celebrated strong results this year, with Luca Marini fourth and fifth at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Speaking in an new video posted on the official MotoGP website, Marini has pointed out where the strength of the current bike is - but how this also contributes to a weakness.

“I think the strongest point, in some way, is how nice it is to ride the bike,” he said.

“It’s super easy. And especially if you check many times in FP1, at the beginning we are always in the front.

“But when you need to go over that peak performance [where] you need to find that last two, three tenths, then it starts to become super difficult.

“And I think this is also a little bit our weakness.”

One of the key reasons for Honda’s form turnaround has been the addition of Romano Albesiano - formerly of Aprilia - as technical director.

On how this has impacted Honda, Marini said: “Romano is getting involved every time more with the Japanese.

“They have a very good relationship and I think this will help all the process to be just a little bit faster, because with a better connection between every part of development, it will be much easier to improve the bike.”