P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Even by the standards of its current rebuilding season, Honda was abject in the last MotoGP round at Portimao. Valentin Khorounzhiy looks at what its riders were struggling with
During the MotoGP season-opening Qatar Grand Prix weekend, Honda’s four riders brought in seven points, contributing to four points in the manufacturers’ standings. Two weeks later in Portugal, they scored the same seven points, keeping the same four points in the standings. However, the impact of the points was different. Joan Mir mentioned that Qatar was a tough track for their bike while expressing optimism for a better performance in Portugal. Unfortunately, Honda failed to deliver in Portugal, with none of their riders qualifying for Q2. Mir’s impressive 12th place finish earned recognition from his Honda colleagues, despite the overall challenging weekend. The team struggled to make significant progress with new parts, as highlighted by both Mir and Zarco’s comments about the limited impact on improving the bike’s performance.
