Michelin has introduced a new rear tire casing for the 2020 season that offers better grip and durability in racing situations.
But it has had a big impact on the pecking order this year as a number of drivers – most notably Andrea Dovizioso on the Ducati and those on the 2020 Honda – are struggling to adapt their driving behavior to the tires.
The 2020 Honda has proven to be a difficult motorcycle and the extra rear tire grip coupled with an engine inertia problem is causing its riders to have problems braking.
LCR’s Alex Marquez, Stefan Bradl and Cal Crutchlow also struggled to get the most out of the tire in qualifying, with sixth place in the Spanish Grand Prix grid being the only top 10 result for all three on Saturday.
During the Catalonia GP weekend, Yokoyama said, “I think we are working hardest to get the most out of the new rear tire construction.
“To be honest, I don’t think we’re going to make the most of it [from the tyre] because it had to change a lot on the bike in some places.
“The Honda philosophy by tradition… we have to try a lot of things, actually a lot more than we expected when they decided to change the tire. We try a lot.
“I wouldn’t necessarily agree [the Honda deflects the tyre more], but the use – including the riding line – may need to be changed. “
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As part of cost-saving measures in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, all non-concession manufacturers have frozen their engines until the end of 2021 and can no longer develop them.
This will force Honda to work solely on the chassis and suspension to improve the RC213V’s difficult driving characteristics, although Yokoyama is unsure whether or not this is beneficial to HRC.
“If we have the freedom to develop the engine further, that is of course an additional freedom that we can play with – not only in terms of horsepower, but also in terms of handling, rideability and everything else,” he added.
“So when engine development is frozen, it’s more complicated. It’s harder to fix when you have bike problems that we have.
“When someone asks me whether it’s a handicap or an advantage for Honda, I can’t really judge it.
“The reality is that we can’t change the engine, but we still have a lot of things around to improve its performance.”