HRC team manager Alberto Puig has made it clear that there is only one goal for Honda and its new star signing, Fabio Quartararo, in MotoGP: to get back to the top. The statement comes amid paddock excitement following the announcement of the long-term partnership between the French rider and the Japanese manufacturer, both of whom are desperate to recover from recent struggles.
Honda's last riders' title came in 2019 with Marc Marquez, while Quartararo clinched his crown in 2021 with Yamaha. Since then, neither has come close to fighting for a championship. The factory HRC team has been winless since Marquez's final victory in 2021, while Quartararo and Yamaha last won a grand prix in 2022.
Next season brings a new technical era with 850cc engines and a switch from Michelin to Pirelli tyres, seen as a chance for Honda to close the gap on European manufacturers. Puig, speaking to MotoGP pit lane reporter Jack Appleyard at Silverstone, said, "Of course there is only one target. Sometimes you cannot achieve it. But there's only one goal, and for sure, for Fabio and for Honda, the target is to come back and try to get on the top."
Quartararo's arrival means Honda's factory team will have fielded at least one MotoGP world champion every season since 2014, thanks to Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Joan Mir, and now Quartararo. "Fabio is a world champion. I think he's one of the fastest riders on the grid, and of course Honda is happy for this [agreement]," Puig said.
However, the Spaniard also paid tribute to outgoing riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini, who, along with LCR's Johann Zarco, helped Honda recover from the low of 2024. "We are happy and grateful for the job that Joan and Luca did in these last years because they helped us develop our bikes," he said. "We have to thank them for all the efforts. So everything comes to an end and this period for them is gone. Now we will start with a new rider. We are happy for the past and with a lot of hope for the future."
While the signing of Moto2 star David Alonso has been confirmed, Honda is yet to announce whether Alonso or current LCR rider Diogo Moreira will partner Quartararo. Puig offered a cautious assessment of Alonso, who is just 20. "First of all, he's young," he said. "So, as we said in the past with Moreira, we cannot expect a lot in the first year. They need time to understand the class. It will be a challenging year for him. But he proved his speed last year. This year is coming a little bit difficult at this moment, but we believe he can catch up, and I think he will be an important rider for the future."
Those words of caution could suggest Moreira is the more likely choice for the factory seat. Puig said only that a decision "will be soon." With the new era full of uncertainty, this second seat choice could define Honda's resurgence in MotoGP.
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