FIRST LOOK: Revamped ‘Honda Repsol’ MotoGP livery for Luca Marini, Joan Mir
Repsol Honda’s MotoGP livery gets its biggest shake-up since 1995 for its 30th season.
Officially, HRC’s factory MotoGP project is still titled as the ‘Repsol Honda Team’.
However, ‘Honda Repsol’ would more accurately describe the team’s fresh 2024 livery for Joan Mir and new signing Luca Marini, unveiled in Madrid this morning.
For the first time since Repsol joined forces with Honda 30 years ago, branding for the Japanese manufacturer now has pride of place on its grand prix prototype.
As rumoured, Repsol has been demoted to the lower fairing (where Red Bull used to be) with HRC red, white and especially blue replacing much of the previous orange for the team’s post-Marc Marquez era. The wheels are also now black.
MotoGP’s most successful team with riders’ titles for Mick Doohan, Alex Criville, Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda has been without a race win since Marquez’s Misano victory in late 2021. However, LCR’s Alex Rins broke Honda's victory drought at COTA last year.
Nonetheless, Honda finished bottom of the constructors’ standings and, like Yamaha, will now benefit from revised technical concession rules for 2024. These include access to private testing with race riders, exemption from the engine design freeze, and more aero updates.
Mir was the top Honda in tenth place at the recent Sepang test, 0.692s from Ducati’s reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia. Marini, younger brother of former Repsol Honda world champion Valentino Rossi, was 19th (+1.326s).
Although the RC213V has been heavily revised for 2024, with riders impressed by its engine and improved time attack capabilities, rear grip remains the bike's biggest weakness.
Mir, the 2020 world champion for Suzuki, struggled to 22nd in his debut Repsol Honda season, finishing just five Grand Prix races in-between injuries.
Marini took his first podiums on the way to eighth for VR46 Ducati. The Italian will work with Mir's former crew, headed by Giacomo Guidotti, with the Spaniard switching to Marquez's former crew, run by Santi Hernandez.
The pair will make their track debut in 2024 Repsol Honda colours during the final pre-season test in Qatar from February 19-20.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
