The Honda MotoGP team are now worried that HRC’s F1 battle with Aston Martin could affect them.

Mir was fighting for P5 at the 2026 Thai Grand Prix before suffering a safety problem with five laps to go. Team boss Alberto Puig spoke ahead of the season. Honda is targeting race winners in 2026Also because the RC213V is lighter and has a better motor.

How far Honda can realize Puig’s ambitions will depend on how HRC leadership responds to Aston Martin’s current woes in F1. Honda launched a new engine partnership with Aston Martin this term, but reliability issues are holding them back.

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There are fears Honda MotoGP team HRC will prioritize tuning Aston Martin’s F1 engine.

Aston Martin Last week F1 was forced to move the opening Australian Grand Prix of the 2026 season to an extended test. The Honda engine shakes the Aston Martin car causing excessive vibration.

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Honda’s issues with Aston Martin in Formula 1 may now also affect their MotoGP team. As he says Motorsport.comAn unnamed Honda executive suggested the situation at HRC would ‘definitely’ affect their MotoGP project as Aston Martin’s F1 engine is a priority.

In the year Having made more progress than any other MotoGP team in 2025, Honda wanted to see further progress in 2026. But Honda’s MotoGP team are now ‘concerned’ HRC bosses will focus on fixing Aston Martin’s F1 engine as the two units share the same basic structure.

HRC President Koji Watanabe has decided to merge the Japanese giant’s two- and four-wheeler operations under one umbrella by 2022 to optimize resources and leverage overlapping work arrangements. But Watanabe’s decision could now affect the Honda MotoGP team in 2026.

HRC focus on Aston Martin F1 engine could hurt Honda under MotoGP 2027 rules

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If Watanabe and the HRC hierarchy decide to focus more Honda resources on fixing Aston Martin’s F1 engine than anything else, Mir and Marini could feel the effects by receiving very few upgrades that could lead to victory, even at the expense of their MotoGP team.

But what could be worse for Honda’s MotoGP team could be the price it will pay under the 2027 regulations. Honda are still developing their RC213V under 1,000cc regulations last season, but their focus is on introducing 850cc engines in MotoGP in 2027.

Honda in 2010 Wanting to hit the ground running in 2027, MotoGP is also set to ban more aerodynamic restrictions and ride height devices. Pirelli is on track to replace Michelin as its sole tire supplier by 2027, so any setbacks now could have lasting consequences for Honda.