Honda: "we made a mistake in setting our target"

 http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/58659


Honda admit mistakes with 800cc bike

By Michele Lostia and Glenn Freeman Thursday, May 10th 2007, 10:00 GMT


Honda have admitted that they set their targets too low for the first year
of 800cc bikes in MotoGP.

The reigning champions have struggled to keep pace at the front of the
field, and world champion Nicky Hayden has had a particularly troubled start
to the defence of his crown.

Satoru Horiike, managing director of Honda HRC, believes that there is a
large room for improvement with the new RC212v machine, as the Repsol Honda
team chase their first victory since last July.

"We must recognise that we made a mistake in setting our target, our bike
needs a more powerful engine," he was quoted as saying by Italian magazine
Motosprint.

"The limit we set ourselves for the first year of 800cc wasn't the right
one. It was thought that the 800s would have taken more time to beat the
990s, but they managed it immediately.

"Our bike it not at the level it should be at this point of the season. We
are improving top speed, but it is not enough."

Horiike has praised the efforts of Ducati, as the Italian team have been
dominant so far this season with Casey Stoner.

"Ducati have done a very good job," he added. "Their bike is faster than
ours, and their performance has pushed as to make a bigger-than-expected
effort."

Hayden has struggled much more with the new bike than his teammate Dani
Pedrosa, and Horiike admitted that the team are working hard with the
American to improve his fortunes at the moment.

"Nicky is making a big effort to adapt to the bike," he said. "He's trying
to change his riding style. For him this bike is harder than for Pedrosa,
but we're trying to meet his needs."

Hayden is only ninth in the standings after four races this season. While
Pedrosa is third, he is already 37 points adrift of Stoner, and 22 behind
Valentino Rossi.

 wrote:


Good of Honda to blame the bike and not the riders, though one could
read a jab at Nicky into it if so inclined.

 

Russ, exactly what did they say that wasn't apparent to everyone? Other than
the bullshit lip service about "we're trying to meet his needs," what else?

 "T3" wrote:

Well, Horiike strongly suggests the target they missed was a
horsepower target, and I suspect that's a bit disengenuous, the real
target they missed was a weight target, and at 110 pounds it was about
40 pounds too light... ;)

 
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