Alberto Puig has issued a rallying cry about Honda’s slow progression 𝔉back to the top of MotoGP.

The struggling Japanese manufacturer have been rooted to the back ꦰthis season, despite benefiting from increased conc꧟essions.

Marc Marquez’s decision to quit and goꦫ to Ducati has been justified.

“This is a winning team, we are used to winning,” Honda boss P๊uig said.

🃏“Sometimes you have to go through a painful process and this is what we aꦜre doing.

“Honda’s spirit is to never give up. The DNA of Honda is racing for many years, and the spirit of💦 racing is something we will🌊 never give up.

“Our only target is to win again.

“The season has not been 🐟easy, this is obvioꦅus. We had a new rider, Luca Marini.

“We spent six or seven months trying many thing🗹s, trying to understand.

“It has been tough. The results show the reality.

“We finally found something in Misano, some sort of direction. Since then, we believe𒈔 that we can start to go.

“Even though ꦅfrom the outside it looks like we are not progressing - because in terms of resul🌌ts we are not - internally we are changing.

“We will change it even ☂more. Honda i🦄s a company who have been in racing for many years.

“Every company has its processes - they can adapt but you ▨never 🍰change the philosophy.

“We can make ꩲchanges but Honda will always be Hꩵonda.”

Aleix Espargaro will join Honꦆda as a test rider in 2025 when he retires from racing.

The🎶ir hope is that he can aid development, similarly to his role in Aprilia’s rise.

“We wil﷽l go from one test rider to three,” Puig said.

“We aren’t going after people but, in the case of Aleix, he decided to retire. We thought it was a good moment to get his services becauseꦚ he is experienced.

“He made the Aprilia, he knows what he did, i🔯t was important. “Exchanging info in racing⛄ is something that you need.

“Yo🌺u need to be at the [cutting edge] of technology so you 💃need info from wherever [it comes from].”

Romano Albesiano will also join Honda as the🥂ir new technical director after leading🔜 Aprilia’s project.

“It’s going to be interesting to understand a different poi🥂nt of view.

We are excited,” Puig said.

'Never easy to lose a champion'

Marquez quit the final year of his big-money Honda deal to ride a year🧔-old Ducati.

He has won three grands prix this year, vindicating the dܫecision to leave the manufacturer with whom he won all of his championships.

“Marc is not just a rider, he’s a spec💜iaಌl type of rider,” said Puig.

“When he joins a team, there is an impact.

“He made hi🐓s decision and we took it in an alright way.

“What he did was, for him, correct. He is making a lot of goo🗹d results.

🍷“From our point of view, we had to accept it. The team goes on.

“Honda won’t stop if a rider leaves or comes.

“We weren’t happy but we respect the guy because he won a lot for Honda, so it𒈔 was fair.

“It’s never easy to lose a champion bu🐻t life goes and♓ we’ll keep going.

“We aren’t making these efforts just to be here, just to participate. To where we want to ඣgo, we need to go through different ste🎀ps. And this is where we are now.”