Moreira Left "Like Christmas Day" After Secret Honda 850cc Test Ignites 2027 Hopes

Honda may finally have something to smile about. With the Japanese manufacturer on course to complete the 1000cc era without a single podium — a collapse that has happened only once before since the MotoGP rebrand — all eyes have turned to the sweeping 2027 regulation overhaul. And behind closed doors at the Red Bull Ring, the first signs of life have appeared. LCR rider Diogo Moreira recently tested Honda's prototype 850cc machine in a private session after the Austrian Grand Prix, and reports suggest he set the pace by roughly half a second. The outing clearly made an impression: Honda test rider Aleix Espargaro told DAZN at Mandalika that Moreira texted him afterwards bursting with excitement. The 2027 reset gives Honda its clearest route back to contention. MotoGP will move to smaller 850cc engines, introduce Pirelli as the sole tyre supplier, strip back aerodynamic excess and reduce electronic aids — a package that rewards fresh engineering thinking over years of incremental development. Espargaro, speaking ahead of this weekend's Indonesian Grand Prix, said he was delighted to see the project progressing. Times in testing mean little, and optimism must be weighed against Honda's current reality. But for a manufacturer that has endured two wretched seasons, a young rider leaving a private test grinning is the most encouraging signal yet that the 2027 gamble could pay off.