Repsol Honda riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini have expressed their enthusiasm regarding Honda Racing Corporation’s (HRC) decision to appoint Romano Albesiano as its new MotoGP technical director, effective from 2025. This marks a significant shift for HRC, as Albesiano will become the first non-Japanese individual to assume such a prominent role in the company’s engineering hierarchy.
Albesiano, who has served as Aprilia’s technical director since 2013, played a crucial role in transforming the RS-GP from a back-of-the-grid contender to a competitive machine capable of achieving poles, podiums, and race wins. Mir, the 2020 MotoGP world champion with Suzuki, hopes Albesiano can apply his innovative approach to enhance the performance of the RC213V.
“I think that movement is very interesting and very important,” Mir commented on the appointment. “Having someone like Albesiano, with his wealth of experience, is crucial for HRC, especially given that he faced similar challenges with Aprilia a few years ago. He understands how to evolve a team from a non-competitive position.”
Mir highlighted the need for quicker responses to developments within the team. “As a smaller factory compared to HRC, Aprilia can respond more quickly. We hope to learn from their approach to enhance our performance and maximize the potential of our Japanese technicians.”
Albesiano will be replacing Ken Kawauchi, whom Mir previously worked with at Suzuki. HRC expects Kawauchi to transition to the MotoGP test team, indicating a strategic effort to optimize team talent. “They are reshuffling personnel to get the best quality from each member, and Kawauchi’s expertise will be beneficial in his new role,” Mir added.
Team-mate Luca Marini emphasized the additional experience Albesiano brings to the team, saying, “Romano will contribute a wealth of knowledge and experience. Aprilia has done an exceptional job in recent years, and we look forward to integrating him into our family, working alongside our Japanese engineers.”
Marini noted that while Albesiano will bring fresh insights, he believes the core philosophy of Honda will remain intact. “We’re strong in many areas, and the goal is to improve our best points. Coordination and communication are essential, and we need to foster more direct dialogue between the garage and Japan.”
Despite acknowledging the progress made since the beginning of the season, Marini admitted that Honda still has challenges to overcome. “We’ve reduced our performance gap to Ducati from two seconds per lap to about one second, but that’s still not enough. Our collective goal is to return to victory as soon as possible.”
Marini identified edge grip under acceleration as a critical area where Albesiano could make a significant impact. “This season, Aprilia has excelled in edge grip, particularly during corner exit. If he can help us understand and replicate that, it would be a substantial improvement for the RC213V.”
Albesiano will assume his role at the start of 2025, likely making his first appearance for Honda during the Sepang Shakedown test in January. His leadership is anticipated to drive HRC’s MotoGP project and further develop the Honda RC213V, as the team aims to reclaim its place at the forefront of motorcycle racing.
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