With Alex Barros and Nicky Hayden taking second and third place at the German GP last weekend, and Hayden hinting at “more to come”, it is likely that Honda has stepped up its program to improve its MotoGP weapon. The Repsol MotoGP team (consisting of Barros and Hayden) typically receives Honda’s latest parts, and the performance of Barros and Hayden in Germany may reflect a fresh delivery from HRC.
One of the problems for Honda this year is the reality that Honda riders will take points away from Honda championship contenders. At this point in the series, it looks like Honda’s championship contenders are Max Biaggi (now one point out of first place) and Sete Gibernau (slightly further back), not the Repsol teammates. While it is clear that Honda had hoped that all of its “all-stars” would crush Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) that has not turned out to be the case. Rossi is the points leader at the halfway mark.
As the season progresses, Honda has the issue before it of whether to favor the Repsol team (as it has traditionally) with the latest parts needed to surpass the performance of the Yamaha ridden by Rossi, or to first allocate those parts to Biaggi and Gibernau. This may seem like a simple problem (give the best parts to the guys with the best chance at the championship), but Honda has a tradition of favoring the Repsol team and its riders. A tradition not easily dismissed by a Japanese corporation such as Honda, and one that title sponsor Repsol may demand continue. If the Repsol teammates begin to take points from Biaggi and Gibernau consistently, this could be enough to secure the championship for Rossi and Yamaha.
