After winning the title in 2023 with Leopard Racing and Jaume Masia, Honda played no part in the World Championship fight in Moto3 this year. The supposed liberation attempt also backfired.
Honda, the world’s largest company in motorcycle racing a few years ago, also had a bad season in asphalt racing in 2024. In the first class, a change of style was found in the second half of the season, but even that could not prevent the manufacturer from finishing last in column. 40 races passed without a single podium finish for the world’s largest manufacturer.
Things went well, but not well, for the Japanese in the smallest displacement class, also the old domain of Honda. Thanks to the strong rider Angel Piqueras (who at the time lost to MT-MSi and KTM at the end of the year) on Leopard Honda, the victory could be celebrated in Misano. Teammate Raul Fernandez was on the podium, as were Taiyo Furusato (Honda-Asia) and Luca Lunetta (SIC58).
The best Honda rider at the end of the season was Fernandez in sixth place thanks to more consistency. Piqueras managed 8th place, Furusato took 10th place. In the constructors’ championship, these efforts brought the Honda factory third place. As in the previous year, the best team with Honda technology was Leopard Racing. For the Italians, fifth place was still a bitter defeat. After all, they had celebrated winning the title with Jaume Masia twelve months earlier.
The introduction of the new engine also went badly. To at least shine in Moto3, the new engine was used at the final pace of the season from Malaysia, which should guarantee success as the new standard for 2025. Although the power of the new single-cylinder engine led Leopard driver Fernandez to first place on the grid nation in Sepang, the Spaniard’s technology blew up in the race. Fernandez is not the only one who had to push. Piqueras and Ogden also had engine failure.
The Honda teams responded with little enthusiasm. There were calls from all sides to improve the level of reliability. But Honda obviously did not expect this. Because as it turned out, the only way was to go back to the old technology. Honda only had one engine per driver in the lineup. Honda’s flagship, the Leopard, was left without an update.
Instead of redemption, Honda is currently working on a major technical rebuild site in Moto3. It was not without reason that all Honda drivers stayed away from the latest test in Jerez. It suggests that a lack of reliable engines for 2025 has forced five Honda teams into a long winter break.
Moto3 World Championship standings after 20 out of 20 races:
1. Alonso, 421 points. 2. Holgado 256. 3. Veijer 242. 4. Ortola 224. 5. Munoz 172. 6. Fernandez 158. 7. Rueda 157 8. Piqueras 153. 9. Kelso 138. 10. 3 Furusa 1 My 1. Lunette 112. 13. Nepa 93. 14. Suzuki 91. 15. Roulstone 66. 25. Dettwiler 2.
World Builders Championship:
1. CFMOTO, 421 Points. 2. KTM 333. 4. Honda 300. 4. Husqvarna 269. 5. GASGAS 265.
