Honda can’t wait until MotoGP 2027 to take a step

It’s very refreshing to hear Honda boss Alberto Puig talk about aspects of his life that are much more ordinary than those required of him as HRC team manager in the MotoGP world championship. 

At 58 years old, and after seven years in the position, the former rider has experienced Honda’s descent into hell from the inside.

Despite this bad streak, the company continues to employ him as a grounding point and liaison between the management, made up entirely of Japanese, and the racing team.

Q. Where can we find you on a weekend without a grand prix?

Puig: Usually at my parents’ house in the mountains. When there are no races, I try to go there because there aren’t many things around you. It’s a very healthy environment.

Q. And what do you do there?

Puig: I try to ride my bike as much as I can, and sometimes I also bring my motocross bike because we have a circuit on the property. Nothing special.

Q. How many motorcycles do you own?

Puig: In the apartment where I live in Barcelona, I still have the first bike I competed with, which is a JJ Cobas. That bike is the only one my family bought back then. I raced the European championship with it and also did some world championship tests. That bike stayed in the home garage for 25 or 30 years, almost destroyed, until three or four years ago when I decided to rebuild it. We took it to a friend of ours who does that, and since then I’ve had it in my living room.

Q. What motivated you to restore it after so many years?

Puig: Well, one day I went down to the garage at my parents’ house and saw it there, neglected, and I thought it wasn’t right, that I had to rebuild it. And it’s the only one from my career that I keep.

Q. What kind of relationship do you have with motorcycles outside of racing?

Puig: I’m a daily motorcycle user. I always move around the city by motorcycle. I’ve had a Honda Scoopy for 17 years, and I’ve never had any problems. It’s the perfect type of bike for the city.

Q. What’s the last indulgence you’ve allowed yourself?

Puig: I don’t have much attachment to material things. At most, if I had to spend money on something, it would be on a bicycle, which has become very expensive.

Q. Do you ever dream that you’re still a rider?

Puig: I think I still have a rider’s mentality. Being linked to this environment prevents you from forgetting about it. Since the day I retired, the inputs have been the same: lap time and racing. If you’ve been a rider, it’s very difficult to forget about it. If you’ve worked inside the paddock in other roles, it might be a bit easier. But I entered this paddock 37 years ago, and I was already racing before that.

Q. What role does performance play in your daily life?

Puig: Our life revolves around performance. It’s speed and results. It’s the only thing that counts at the end of the day. Obviously, there are other important things, but for the brand and the rider, everything comes down to the result on Sunday afternoon.

Joan Mir, Honda Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Q. You and Pedro de la Rosa are cousins. What was it like growing up with another such competitive kid?

Puig: It’s curious because, at the beginning of the interview, you asked me what I did on Sundays when there are no races, and I talked about my parents’ house in the mountains. We’re neighbours there because his mother and mine are sisters, and their houses are 200 metres apart. I’m four or five years older than him, but for many years I remember riding around there on my motorcycle, and he was always glued to his radio-controlled car. I think he even became European champion before starting in karts. Later, he went to race in Japan, but we both grew up in a racing ecosystem. Every time we meet, we talk about racing. He tells me about his Formula 1 story, and I tell him about MotoGP. It’s impossible for us to talk about anything other than racing.

Q. With Romano Albesiano’s arrival as technical director, what future strategy has Honda set in MotoGP?

Puig: The only strategy we’ve set for ourselves right now is to improve the bike. That’s the starting point. And to achieve this, Honda is allocating all the resources at its disposal and its technology. I’m not just talking about financial resources, but also human resources. That’s why we’ve decided to hire Romano. The first thing is to improve the bike. There’s no exact plan, we’re doing everything we can day by day because we’re aware that our level is not what it should be.

Q. Honda is winning in Formula 1 by teaming up with Red Bull. Is there any plan to take advantage of this?

Puig: I think it’s important to clarify something: Honda is winning in Formula 1, yes, but a car and a motorcycle are not the same thing. Honda supplies the engines, but Red Bull has a fantastic team that designs the car. In our case, Honda takes care of the entire motorcycle. It’s a different concept, but both (F1 and MotoGP) are under the HRC umbrella. We’re trying to take advantage of the resources that F1 can offer us. It’s something we’re starting to try to connect.

Q. Do you already have a headquarters in Europe?

Puig: We’re evaluating possibilities in Europe, although for now, we don’t have anything finalised. The idea is to accelerate the process of implementing ideas in motorcycle development. We want to increase our reaction speed, but there are also interesting technological options in Europe now.

Joan Mir, Honda Racing

Photo by: Miquel Liso

Q. Do you think COVID explains the current gap between European and Japanese manufacturers?

Puig: It’s complicated to point to one element, but it’s true that technology in Europe has improved a lot in recent times, in all areas of the motorcycle. We only have two wheels, not four, so you have to be very precise. If you fail in one of the elements, with all these electronic systems that have been implemented, you won’t be able to perform. Europeans have taken a step forward in all areas of the bike, but it’s also true that Japanese brands probably suffered more from COVID because the technicians couldn’t travel to Japan.

Puig: He’s a guy with a lot of experience, and he’s been very clear about his comments on the bike. He comes from a great brand [Aprilia], with which he’s accumulated great results. A rider like that can’t bring anything negative because he’ll only bring ideas.

Q. How important is the on-track speed that Espargaro brings, having just been fighting for podiums?

Puig: It’s very important because he got off the bike on Sunday in Montmelo, in the last race of the season, where he was fighting for the podium. To properly test the parts, you have to be fast. There are different types of tests that are done on the parts, but ultimately you have to assess the real potential, the performance it offers, the speed. That’s why you need a rider who is capable of reaching the limit, and Aleix is. I think his arrival will be good for Honda and for the other riders.

Q. Do you think he will push the other Honda riders?

Alberto Puig, Team Principal Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Q. As a former rider, what do you think of all these devices that motorcycles now incorporate?

Puig: This generates some controversy. For some things it’s good; for others, not so much. There have been many improvements in matters related to motorcycle safety. Years ago there was practically no electronics, and every weekend we riders would go flying with the two-stroke engines. Traction control was in your hand, and if you overdid it a little, you’d go over the top. But it’s true that in recent years there has been a lot of evolution, and we have to be aware that this sport is super interesting and spectacular because of its essence. We can’t get to the point where the bike is more important than the rider. That’s my personal opinion. I’m sure the championship and the manufacturers will find the necessary compromise to preserve that essence, and the relevance of the best riders will continue to prevail, and fans will be able to identify them. That, for example, I don’t think is happening entirely in Formula 1 lately.

Q. Do you think the new regulations that will come into force in 2027 will increase the difference between the fastest riders and the rest?

Puig: Brands will always find a way to make bikes go faster and faster. With fewer controls, with fewer devices, it doesn’t matter. It’s difficult to give an answer to this question right now, but Honda can’t wait until 2027 to take a step, and that’s why I have to think about next year.