After a strong start to 2025, Honda’s momentum continued in Argentina, where fans of the Japanese brand were treated to another encouraging weekend. HRC ended the Grand Prix with three riders inside the top 10, a feat not seen for Honda since the 2022 Portuguese GP.
Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) was the top Honda rider throughout the weekend, crossing the line in P6 on Sunday. The Frenchman had an impressive outing, finishing three places ahead of the next Honda rider, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol). The #36 claimed ninth position, narrowly beating his teammate Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) in P10. It was three important point-scoring finishes that now place Honda second in the Constructors' Championship.
The Japanese giant has had to wait three years for this kind of result, last achieved at the 2022 Portuguese GP, where Marc Marquez finished P6, Alex Marquez took P7, and Pol Espargaro finished P9.
Rookie Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) also had a strong outing as he continued his adaptation in the premier class. The #35 qualified 19th and claimed a respectable 17th in the Sprint before crossing the line in 18th on Sunday afternoon.
The star of the show was Zarco, who ended Friday’s Practice in P7 – showing a very consistent race pace. The Frenchman carried his pace into qualifying, clocking a stunning 1:37.205, which was good enough to land a spot on the front row of the grid. His pace would transfer into the Sprint, crossing the line in P4 before securing P6 on Sunday after a battle with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team).
Discussing the Grand Prix, the #5 explained: "It was a very nice weekend, almost a dream weekend from the first lap on Friday until the race on Sunday. It is so nice to get the possibility to be able to fight with the top guys. It has been a positive for us. I did everything to get a podium, and the strategy on Sunday was better than Saturday because I got a better start on Sunday."
Now, looking ahead to the next round of the season, Zarco is looking for another strong result: "If we have another positive weekend in COTA, it will be a good sign for Honda. Clearly, our confidence is improving a lot, so let’s see how we are in Austin because I would love to perform there."
Meanwhile, it was another strong weekend for Honda HRC Castrol, with Luca Marini securing his first top 10 finish of the season. The Italian ended the weekend 0.238s behind his teammate, Joan Mir, who took points in both the Sprint and Grand Prix. The 2020 World Champion would engage in a battle with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in the closing stages, narrowly missing out on P8.
Despite a strong result on paper, Mir's battle with Acosta has highlighted areas for improvement, offering valuable insights for HRC's continued development: "I could not defend from the others. Every time I arrived on the straight, the rider behind overtook me, and then I was unable to attack on the brakes, which is actually my strong point, but my front tyre was overheating. We need to understand what we can do to solve that situation. This year, I can see how I’m able to fight, and this is something good, but as a rider, I always want more."
Honda is now gearing up for a new challenge at the Circuit Of The Americas, a venue where they have previously experienced great success—most notably with Marc Marquez and, most recently, in 2023, with Alex Rins.