Already on day three, Honda’s newcomer Johann Zarco was able to clock in a time of 1m 58.4s which would’ve placed him as the lead Honda in the qualifying session of the 2023 Malaysian Grand Prix in 16th.

“I think they were some positive days and the amount of things that we managed to try is still crazy,” Joan Mir said when speaking to the press.

“We have to understand the direction to take, because we have tried different bikes with different engines, with different character and the truth of the moment is I can’t choose one.”

I’m not surprised by the work they did over the winter, because I know what Honda can do and I expect a lot from them. But this is true that for this winter we have worked more than the last

What I can see is that they want to get out of the situation we find ourselves in. But its one thing to want it and another to succeed.”

When asked about comparing his current bike with the previous one the Spaniard said that Honda didn’t even bring their previous bike to the test which would suggest that they are looking to build a completely new version for 2024.

Repsol Honda teammate Luca Marini also felt that the new RC has a lot of potential with the Italian claiming that he felt great with the bike, but pointed out that Honda’s outright speed will be an area of concern.

“The bike has good potential. It’s nice to ride when you’re alone, because you don’t see the performance of others!”

“You feel like you’re doing a good job, but when you cross the finish line, the time is a bit slower than you expected. We have a lot of work to do; it’s only the first time out on the track with the new bike, and it’s very different from last year’s.”

Honda plans to make full use of its concessions, as it has already planned 22 tests for the 2024 season. With a strong technical direction from the start, Honda aims to mix up with the European bikes as early as possible but understands that it won’t be easy to do it right away.

“We have to be smart to progress in the shortest possible time; we have concessions, but it’s not very easy to do it quickly. Ducati and KTM worked on their setup for years; we are just starting now.”

“I think they were some positive days and the amount of things that we managed to try is still crazy. We have to understand the direction to take, because we have tried different bikes with different engines, with different character and the truth of the moment is I can’t choose one.”

I’m not surprised by the work they did over the winter, because I know what Honda can do and I expect a lot from them. But this is true that for this winter we have worked more than the last

What I can see is that they want to get out of the situation we find ourselves in. But its one thing to want it and another to succeed.”

We will see a better picture of where Honda stands once the whole grid arrives for the first official test of the season in Sepang on 6-7 February.