Marco Bezzecchi
Honda may be the surprise package for the 2026 MotoGP season after they seemingly made another step forward at the Sepang test.
The 2025 season was a step in the right direction for Honda after the Japanese manufacturer found itself at the back of the grid in 2024.
Honda returned to the podium on four occasions during the 2025 MotoGP Championship, with Johann Zarco taking their first win since 2022.
But Honda’s quest to return to the podium on a more regular basis did not end at the conclusion of 2025. They appear to have made another step for the 2026 season, and Jorge Lorenzo has them marked as one to watch.
Have Honda done enough to have an 2025 Aprilia-esque season this year?
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Jorge Lorenzo believes Honda have ‘made a big step forward’
In an interview with MOW, Lorenzo discussed all the 2026 MotoGP bikes, labelling Ducati as the ‘most complete’ but emphasising that Honda’s progress is ‘scary’.
Honda have kept three of their four riders from the 2025 season, with Joan Mir, Luca Marini and Zarco remaining within their ranks.
In addition to the three proven riders, Honda have added the reigning Moto2 Champion, Diogo Moreira, to their ranks for this season as he signed a three-year deal.
Lorenzo said, “Yes, Ducati continues to be the most complete bike for me. And unlike in the past, where it had four or five strong points and others where it struggled a lot, they’ve managed to have a bike without any weak points.
“Of course, it no longer goes 10 km/h faster than all the other bikes. But it’s a little better than the other bikes and is a complete package for all riders.
“The Aprilia, on the other hand, is at a very similar level, even if the bike is different. I see it being very strong with Bezzecchi. It’s the one that leans the most, leans super fast, and has a lot of cornering.
“Then the Honda has made a big step forward; this year it’s scary. And we—or rather, KTM—are close.”
Who do you want as Fabio Quartararo’s 2027 Honda teammate?
Honda are showing clear ambition for the future in the 2027 rider market
One of the major talking points ahead of the 2026 MotoGP season has been a bombshell report that came out before the Sepang Test that suggested Fabio Quartararo will join Honda in 2027.
The 2021 MotoGP World Champion has been unhappy at Yamaha for some time, and Quartararo has been left frustrated by key figures at Yamaha in recent years.
With his current contract with Yamaha expiring at the end of the 2026 season, the Frenchman is believed to be heading to Honda when the new MotoGP regulations are introduced in 2027.
It is unknown who he will partner with in the factory Honda garage, but this move would show Honda’s clear intent on returning to the front of the MotoGP grid as soon as possible.
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