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Buriram Post-Test Round Up, Part 4: Honda & Yamaha - Room For Optimism?

By David Emmett |

The Buriram MotoGP test confirmed Ducati as the preseason favorite, with Aprilia a close second and KTM possibly on the prowl. But what about the Japanese manufacturers? After a couple of years in the wilderness, are they any closer to regaining competitiveness?

2025
MotoGP
Buriram, Thailand
Honda
Yamaha
Alex Rins
Fabio Quartararo
Jack Miller
Joan Mir
Luca Marini
CormacGP
David Emmett
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Comments

Is it really a lack of engine horsepower why Honda has a slow top speed? Or is it the inability to effectively transfer the horsepower into drive (chassis, electronics, suspension, aerodynamics, ride height, etc.)?

We won’t really know until the racing starts, and if the broadcasting aesthetic is anything to go by we’ll never get to see what’s happening in the battle for 10th which is shaping up to be really exciting!

I guess if they’re losing more time coming off slow corners or at the end of the long straights or both is the indication, Buriram is a good indicator.

Riders have always made the difference. The most blatant recent examples were at Honda- Marc obviously, but also Casey Stoner on the RC1000V that almost killed Jack Miller. Winning teams always have riders that make the difference and every team besides Honda has at least one at the moment (Marc/Pecco, Pedro, Jorge, Fabio). Ducati wouldn't be in the hunt without the 2 guys on the red bikes even with the best bike on the grid. So I don't think that's a strike against Yamaha. Or I could just be a Yamaha apologist as I just wanna see Fabio smash it this year.....

Very true. I seem to remember working it out in 2022 or 23, I forget. Ducati, without Pecco didn't win so much. If you took out the number two Ducati also, they won very little. There was not a queue of Ducati beind them in races. There was a more comptetitive mixed bag. 

The other big (biggest?) historical example is Rossi 2004. It's the Honda !....'Hold my peroni'. Not that I would ever volunteer to drink that but etc. However, when you get one of these riders on the best bike we can only hope they're not alone. Really hope 2025 Marc isn't the 2014 variety. I think the problem with Yamaha is that not even Fabio can win on it. Fabio is one of those riders, that's a big enough strike against Yamaha. We knew the Honda was bad when even Marc couldn't win. I'm quite hopeful for Yamaha this year though. One or two wins coming.