Why doesn't Honda just copy Aprilia's MotoGP bike?
It's a question that would've been laughable during 2016-19, when Honda won every MotoGP constructors' championship and Aprilia finished last in that table every year.
But since then Honda has been in freefall (it's been last in that championship for the past three seasons) while Aprilia grew into one of Ducati's main challengers and a competitive enough prospect to sign world champion Jorge Martin for 2025.
There have also been significant exits from Aprilia, though - and some of the key ones have been Honda-bound.
Having masterminded Aprilia's rise, Romano Albesiano is now Honda technical director. Aprilia's long-time lead rider Aleix Espargaro's switch from racing to development riding will be with Honda, not Aprilia. And he's brought crew chief Antonio Jimenez with him too.
In terms of budget and engineering resources, Honda offers Albesiano much more to play with than Aprilia did.
But LCR rider Johann Zarco - who plays a significant role in Honda factory development - warned that Albesiano's task will be far more nuanced than just making an Aprilia on a bigger budget.
"We cannot make the Honda as an Aprilia," said Zarco.
"He cannot say 'OK the Aprilia was working like this, so we do that'.
"It's not possible because it's a balance of things, it's a compromise of things. To make the Aprilia work, you needed the same engine, you needed everything the same. There is no sense to do everything the same on the Honda because it will be too big a change and I'm not sure that it would work at 100%.
"The Ducati is the best bike at the moment because they found the perfect balance for a few years and with the package of the tyres, the aerodynamics and the rules, they have been the best ones to manage it. But for maybe almost nothing, this can change.
"So that's why it's clearly not possible that from the knowledge he has he can just say to Honda 'we do an Aprilia' because we don't want to do an Aprilia. And Honda has some qualities - a Japanese soul in the construction - that I never feel in a European brand."
Espargaro and fellow racer-turned-Honda-tester Taka Nakagami ran for Honda across last weekend's shakedown test, where Zarco's new team-mate Somkiat Chantra also made use of the rookie testing allowance.
Zarco and works riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini didn't participate, which Zarco put down to wanting to save some of the annual test tyre allocation for later in the season when they hope more significant developments arrive.
He admitted that while he knows Honda headquarters is working hard on new parts and ideas, there hasn't been much tangible difference in what the riders have had for recent tests - a situation he expects to change as 2025 progresses.
While Zarco will make a chassis choice on Wednesday and do aero work on Friday, he admitted that the engine specifications being tested on Thursday are not expected to be as good as what is coming later on.
He also pointed out that Albesiano's impact will definitely not be instant as initially the team will be working with developments signed off before his arrival.
"They cannot wait for the ideas of Romano at the beginning of January and say 'OK, now we will begin preparing everything for the end of January'," said Zarco.
"So all that was already prepared by Honda, we must respect that and go for it and the ideas that Honda wants to test because they are clearly not stupid."
He said he had been reassured that Albesiano seemed to share the impressions of Honda's recovery potential that he had when he arrived there from Pramac Ducati at the end of 2023.
"I will not expect something that gives wings and makes you feel like you can fight for the podium straight away because I see the work but I know that it's kind of hard to put all the things together," Zarco said of the package Honda has for this week's test.
"The Japanese are making changes but in feeling sometimes it's quite similar, it is not easy to make big steps.
"But now the work of Romano I guess will help things to move and he's quite impressed by the potential that Honda can have. I like it, because it's the same feeling that I have and that I had one year ago. This is nice to feel this from him and that we feel the same thing."
Zarco also noted that Espargaro's recent experience of the Aprilia had already been useful - albeit partly in raising a Honda shortcoming that Zarco had just got used to.
"The good thing with Aleix is that he came also with his crew. They have worked together and they know each other, so straight away what he can feel the technician can understand and give better information to the engineers," said Zarco.
"Strangely we didn't have the same comments as Aleix. His first feeling was about the engine performance. Maybe I got used to it and forgot that we can gain on the engine! But I like that he is fresh from a different feeling."
