Honda’s disastrous WorldSBK reality revealed by former factory rider

Since Honda returned to WorldSBK as a full factory team in 2019, it’s not won a single race and has managed less than 10 podiums, so what is going wrong?

Not only has Honda failed to stand on the top step in WorldSBK since its latest generation Fireblade was introduced at the beginning of the decade, it’s also gone backwards in terms of its results.

Last year it finished fifth in the manufacturers’ standings, ahead of only the one-bike Kawasaki. It was also fifth in 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021, behind all the other full-time manufacturers. In 2020, it was fourth, 65 points ahead of BMW, which has since won two riders’ crowns. 

So far in 2026, Honda has scored points in only four races and has tallied only 12 points, leaving it sixth of six manufacturers and 56 points behind Kawasaki.

In BSB things have also gone backwards with the CBR1000RR-R. Tommy Bridewell took the title battle to the final race versus Kyle Ryde in 2024, but last year won only one race. In road racing, Dean Harrison won both Superstock TT races on the bike last year and Michael Dunlop was close to winning the 2024 Superbike TT, but the BMW M1000 RR is the more consistent performer.

In his time with Honda Racing UK, the aforementioned Bridewell made several appearances in WorldSBK, some with the BSB team and others in the HRC squad, most recently at Aragon last year when he replaced the injured Iker Lecuona, who has taken six times as many podiums in his first five rounds with the factory Ducati team than he managed in four seasons with Honda.

Bridewell, too, has had improved results in WorldSBK since moving to Ducati, even with the new Superbike Advocates team which decided so late to run in the World Championship that it had to miss the first round. 

So far this year, Bridewell has scored 19 points to sit 18th, leaving him 12 points clear of Honda’s highest-placed rider, Tetsuta Nagashima, who only raced the opening round in Phillip Island. In fact, Bridewell has scored five points more on his own than the combined total of the five riders that have ridden for HRC this year, whom together have scored 14 points between them in 15 races.

Bridewell has also been able to explain some of the problems with the Honda, only some of which are related to the CBR1000RR-R itself, a bike which has won the last four Suzuka 8 Hours races in succession.

“The bike is just not that good,” Bridewell told German publication Speedweek.

“That's the truth.

“It produces a lot of slippage on the rear wheel and I've never ridden a bike that is so prone to wheelies.”

There are also problems with Honda’s working method, in which all details are hidden. In comparison, Ducati has become well-known for its data-sharing model between not only its factory riders but also all satellite teams.

“Honda works completely differently,” Bridewell explained.

“Everything is extremely secret. So secret that you can't even see the data of other drivers. That's really special.”

As for 2027, a new bike could be on the way, but Bridewell warns: “I still have some insiders there and as far as I hear, the 2027 bike doesn't seem to be the big step they had hoped for. I've even seen a photo of it.”