Alex Criville warns Honda against major changes

Former world champion Alex Criville has warned Honda not to make radical winter changes to its factory RC212V contender to help Dani Pedrosa win the last 800cc MotoGP title in 2011.

Criville said Honda engineers must avoid a tendency to make sweeping changes to its V4 contender to give Pedrosa any hope of capturing his elusive first MotoGP title next season.

Pedrosa has struggled occasionally in winter testing to find a development direction after winter alterations and Criville told MCN: “Dani could be the next champion, but he has to start with a competitive bike.

“The bike right now is very good and he is happy with it. But at the start of the season the Honda didn’t work very good. The settings were very bad but Honda now has a good bike. It is the fastest and now it looks stable.

“If Dani starts next year with this bike he can fight right from the first race. The Japanese have to understand that it is very important to start with a bike that is 100 per cent ready and they shouldn’t make changes just for the sake of it.”

Criville was Spain’s first world champion in 1999.