How does moving to Concession Rank C impact Honda for the 2026 MotoGP World Championship?

After a quick turnaround in the 2025 MotoGP World Championship, a major talking point coming into the final round of the season was Honda's Concession Rank going into 2026.

The 2024 MotoGP World Championship was one of the toughest seasons in Honda's MotoGP history, as their factory riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini finished as the bottom two full-time riders in the Championship standings.

This difficult season saw Honda in Rank D in concessions for the 2025 season, which allowed them to develop the RC213V during the year.

However, the 2025 season saw Marini and Mir turn their fortunes around quickly, leading Honda back to Concession Rank C for the 2026 season. But it was close for the Japanese manufacturer as they needed to score nine points at the final Grand Prix, and Marini managed to score nine points.

But what does the change in Concession Rank really mean for the Honda Racing Corporation going into the 2026 MotoGP season?

Whilst in Concession Rank D, Honda had access to 260 tyres during Testing, but for 2026, they will drop to 220 tyres for Testing. As well, when it comes to testing, Honda will only be able to test at three circuits during the season, rather than at any circuit, and will only be able to test with their Test Riders rather than full-time riders.

When it comes to the bike itself, Honda will have eight engines per season, due to the length of the 2026 calendar. The Japanese manufacturer will not be allowed to upgrade their engine spec mid-season, due to the engine freeze. They will also only be allowed an aerodynamic update during the 2026 MotoGP season.

However, they will be able to retain their six wildcard appearances for their Test Riders across the 2026 MotoGP season.