Honda and Yamaha may not arrest their MotoGP decline anyti🦩me soon.

That’s according to Simon Crafar, ex-rider and now broadcaster inside the paddock, who worries that the two Japanese manufacturers’ clear improvements will still not be enough in 🉐2024.

After a disma🌸l year for both, the new concessions rules will allow Honda and Yamaha developmental benefits to hasten 🧔their ascent back to the top of MotoGP.

During preseason testing in Sepang and Qatar, there hav🌜e been rays of light from both garages.

“In the past few years the Italian manufacturers have 🔯been years ahead in aerodynamics and electronics,” Crafar reported from 💖Qatar.

“The Japanese have ma🤡de a step in electronics, 🔥clearly.

“Both Honda and Yamaha have goneℱ forwards. They have improved their engi𝐆ne, and lots of bits chassis-wise, and the exhaust.

“But I believe they are still a ♏couple 🔯of years behind.

“It might take months to catch up.

“They are behind in electronics. That’s a big part of꧑ what’s holding them 🦹back.

“That’s just a gut feeling that I get, from eve🍰rything I learn, from what I see on track and listen from riders’ debriefs.

“But this is testing. We will come back 💮to a different track condition.

🌞“Everyone will have to adjust to that track conditi🐈on.

“It wiꦇll give opportuniꦯties to make up [time]. It will not be the same as in the test.

“Then, the real rac🐠ers come 🐽out when the lights go out!

“It’s different! Some are good at going round and round in tesꦐting. Others race!”

Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo has largely been happy with Yamaha’s progress over the winter and thro🦄ugh preseason, although he has warned that they remain far away froꦉm the dominant Ducatis.

“We are still far from the top,” Quartararo said.

“We have a lot of work to do.

“H🦩opefully we can find a solution during the season. We are still far away but it was positive.”

Luca Marini, the new Repsol Honda recruit, has spoken positively of their bike development and urged them to folꦕlow their own path and not s꧅olely copy Ducati.

Joan Mir, Marini’s teammate, revealed🐲 he was pleasantly surprised by his Honda in Qatar after remembering the nightmare it provided him a year ago.

“Well, honestly, I felt quite good,” Mir said. “I am haಌppy about the day.

“We were able 𒀰ཧto be, straight away, quite fast. “Especially in race pace with the used tyres.

“I was comfortable. I came with low expectations.

“Last year it was very, very difficult ൩to stay on the bike.

“I was surprised. We have taken the correct steps f𝔉orward.”