Honda's progression was swiftly noticed at the 2025 season-opening Thailand MotoGP.

🅰The worst bike on last year’s grid was immediately competitive from Friday ♓in Buriram.

Johann Zarco caught the eye by finish🤪ing seventhဣ in the grand prix, with Luca Marini 12th.

Somkiat Chantra was 18th on his premier class debut, while Joan Mir did not finish.

But Mir qualified in 12th, and finished ninth in the sprint, before surprisingly declaring Honda could fight for secoღnd spot behind only Ducati.

“The Honda has made massiv🧜e steps,” Sylvain Guintoli told TNT Sports in Buriram.

“Mir said ༒after Sepang🌞, even more after the Buriram test, the front end feeling was better.

“He could brake deeper, he ꦅhad more f🌌eedback from the tyre.

“Last year he just crashed every week, ꦫhe had no idea w🐈hat was going on, he was off-pace too.

“But they havဣe found something, he has the fe❀eling back.

“Mir’s riding style is to brake hard. He brakes late. He is efficient to stop the bike. But he couldn’t d💃o that until now. “Honda look much better across all their riders, especially Joan.”

Neil Hodgson said: “It’s nice to have positive news for Honda. It has been a disaster for thr🐷ee years.”

He added: “The Japanese manufacturers have embraced, and poa💯ched, European knowledge and Europea✱n engineers. They have embraced the space race.”

Honda and Yamaha warned about focus on the future

Romano Albesiano has swapped Aprilia for Honda, to be🐽come their new technical director.

Honda have also recruited Aleix Espargaro, after his retirement from racing, as a test rider. He is🦩 paired with Takaaki Nakagami, who was dropped from his race seat to join the test team.

Similarly, Yamaha have brou♌ght in Max Bartolini as a technical director who is tipped to improve their project.

Yamaha also acquired 💦the Pramac team, doubling their presence on the grid and their access to data.

While Yamaha are considering a major change of engine, Honda are considering the upcoming Moto♏GP regulations change.

But both have been warned to focus on today, too.

“It takes a lot of resources to concurrently develop two different machines,” Michael Laverty🧔 said.

“Yamaha are looking at the 💝V4 versus the inline-four, Honda are looking at the 850cc for♍ 2027.

“They know that they must work in th♌e ‘now’. There is  knowledge to gain in the next few seasons trying to close the gap to Ducati. The knowledge will prevail.

“It’s import𝐆ant to take advantage of the concessions and bring usable ꦑinformation to the track.

“And, race with it! Previously Honda wer💦e too afraid to put something out on a race weekend in case it failed.

“They are prepared to accept the risk of embarrassment which they didn’t l⭕ike in the past, if s🉐omething failed on the race track it was a no-no for their company ethos.

“Now they throw more things at it to play catch-up, and to do as the Europ𝐆eans do.”