In 2024, MotoGP introduced an updated concession system aimed at helping Honda and Yamaha bridge the performance gap with their dominant European rivals, following a significant decline in competitiveness the previous year. However, factory Honda rider Joan Mir expressed that the new system has had little impact on Honda’s performance but pointed out changes that are already underway to improve the Japanese manufacturer’s testing process and boost its performance in the coming season.
Mir believes that despite their intended purpose, the concessions introduced in MotoGP failed to lift Honda out of its current struggles. The team remained at the bottom of the manufacturers’ standings, concluding the season with only 75 points. This was the case even with the significant flexibility granted to implement new developments, such as multiple engine specifications, and the opportunity for Mir and teammate Luca Marini to participate in private testing sessions. When he was asked if Honda’s position wasn’t for MotoGP’s concession system, he said :
“This year probably in the same place we are…