Honda has managed to produce a MotoGP bike that feels “naturally fast” and “nice to ride”, but a lack of grip and peak performance is holding it back when it matters the most.
That is the assessment of HRC’s factory rider Luca Marini after what’s been a subdued start to the Japanese manufacturer’s 2026 campaign.
During the opening two rounds in Buriram and Goiania, Honda amassed just 16 points in the manufacturers’ standings, with a best finish of ninth place courtesy of Johann Zarco.
Joan Mir was on course for a stronger result at the Brazilian Grand Prix, but crashed out of seventh place after struggling with illness for much of the weekend.
One-lap pace has proved to be the biggest weakness for the RC213V so far in 2026, with only one rider qualifying inside the top 10 in both Thailand and Brazil.
Marini explained that Honda’s persistent grip issues are preventing riders from unlocking the bike’s full potential in qualifying, where other manufacturers continue to raise the bar with record lap times.
“It's missing the maximum performance,” the Italian conceded. “The bike is very nice to ride. [It gives you] the feeling of a really nice bike that you are used to riding since the beginning of your career.
“I cannot tell you specifically how much better this thing is, but when you jump over the bike, you feel naturally fast and everything is working well.
“But then, when you need to be on the lap-record [pace], it's difficult because of the lack of grip. We always complain about some aero that doesn't help us to turn enough. There are a couple of things that are always the same. We are improving it, but we need more time.”
Marini expects Honda’s competitive level to remain largely unchanged at this weekend’s Americas Grand Prix in Austin.
While the Tokyo-based manufacturer will bring new parts to the track in Texas, Marini feels Honda will have to roll out bigger improvements to close the gap with its rivals.
“I think it will be the same,” he said. “If you start in the front, then you can be in sixth position; if you start in the back, tenth. This is the reality at the moment, and the circuit doesn’t matter.
“We still need to make good improvements on the bike. We will have something here and it's positive because the development is still pushing, and we trust the last year of 1,000cc [bikes] a lot.
“We will try to do our best to improve the bike through the season, but this is just the first step. I think we will need something more in the Jerez test, for example.”
