Repsol Honda targets second-half step towards ‘winning mode’

Having gone two complete seasons without a MotoGP victory, and lost star rider Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda are being careful about their 2024 goals.

But a ‘solid foundation’ at the Sepang test, combined with new development opportunities from the revised concessions system, means team manager Alberto Puig is expecting a step in competitiveness during the second half of the year.

“The bike has changed a lot [since 2023],” Puig said.

“We made some real improvements on the engine, the weight and the delivery of the power. But of course, we need to keep working.

“The Sepang test was very important because we could find a direction. We had a lot of people in Sepang, they made a big effort to understand the direction and also the riders gave us really good precise indications.

“We think we know where we have to work. We have these concessions now which are really important and we will try to maximise and utilise them as much as possible.

“The motorbike could change a lot between now and September or October because we will see some important evolutions [during the season].

“We have a clear target and aim to be competitive, probably not in the first races, but in the second half of the year. We expect and we want that our bike will be much more efficient.

“Finally, the goal of all this is to go back to winning mode and how to do it is with a lot of motivation and will to improve.”

New signing Luca Marini also hopes to be fighting for RCV podiums after the summer break.

“The first target is to try to give my feedback in the best way possible, be precise and be clear with the engineers, so they can bring us something better every race,” he said.

“Try to improve the bike enough to arrive around half season with a good package. Competitive enough to fight for podiums. Sure it will be not so easy. We need time. But this is the target.”

Although Repsol Honda only took one podium, with Marquez at Phillip Island, last season, LCR's Alex Rins broke the RC213V win drought at COTA.

Yamaha, winless last year, will also have access to technical concessions this season, which include private testing with race riders, exemption from the engine design freeze and more aerodynamic updates.