Honda, the brand that made the history of motorcycle racing, is going through a terrible period in terms of sporting results. Bad in MotoGP, very bad in Superbike and, now, even in Moto3 the gap to the KTM is starting to be decidedly heavy. Even Paolo Simoncelli, who is deeply attached to the Japanese company, is losing patience. The father of the SIC and now owner of the Moto3 team also talks about the new tyres: “We are back racing like 30 years ago”
CThe way things are going MotoGP the rankings of Qatar and Portimao say it and that in Superbikes everything went even worse according to those at Phillip Island and Barcelona. There crisis of Honda in motorcycle racing it seems ever deeper, so much so that there are those who hypothesize a sensational abandonment in the wake of what Suzuki did just two years ago. From HRC they guarantee that this will not be the case, but the words, at least until now, have not yet been followed by facts. This is what – in his own way and without beating around the bush – he denounced in these very hours also Paolo Simoncelli.
Lui, today team manager of SIC58 Racing Team, he is tied to Honda to the core, given that that was the brand he had bet on his son Marco Simoncelli for MotoGP. So much so that too when the team that bears the SIC name was born there was never a doubt whether to choose Honda or not to supply the motorbikes. Except that now even that marriage desired by true feelings and powerful memories could be in crisis, because what is happening in MotoGP and Superbike is also happening in Moto3. And it is Paolo Simoncelli himself who says it.
“It’s a time of waiting and patience – writes Paolo in the report on the Portimao weekend published on his team’s page – new beginnings are always complicated, we need to work to get to know each other, understand each other and then perform at our best. But I want to make a criticism of the manufacturer Japanese company to whom we have entrusted our results for years: Honda. When the contract was renewed in August, we were promised engine development and technical changes, however the only improvements made are thanks to Marco, who tries to lighten the bike as much as possible. He shortens, tightens, pulls to bring our bikes (almost) on par with the KTMs. But when the blanket is short, you can pull here and there, but something still remains uncovered. I thought that the Japanese didn’t give certainties if they weren’t sure, but I was wrong”. A phrase, the latter, that Marc Marquez could also have uttered in the last two seasons, before saying goodbye to everyone, closing the door behind him and going on to win with those who are truly competitive today and want to continue to be so.
Meanwhile, beyond the Honda problems, Paolo Simoncelli also has his say on the other big news regarding Moto3: the new tire supplier. “We will remember 2024 as the year of tire changes, rather than climate change – adds Paolo – which significantly disrupts the progress of the race. We are back to racing like thirty years agohaving to strategize, go slower to manage tire wear, so as not to end up taking the checkered flag on the canvas. As for our pilots…let’s pretend to stay calm! Despite the mistakes made by Lunetta or the questionable race strategies of Farioli, they cannot receive criticism, they are motivated by a great desire to do, they are full of energy and I believe a lot in them and in the skills of Marco Grana who not only supports them but is completely absorbed by this new challenge”.
