2009 is looking like it might be a pretty dire year for Honda‘s high-profile motorsport arms.

MotoGP should perhaps be their greatest hope. But their bike has presumably again been built for Dani Pedrosa, who injured himself testing in Qatar recently. He’s hopeful of being fit for the first race of the season there on 12th April, but will miss the final test at Jerez. With team-mate Andrea Dovizioso concerned about the pace of their bike, and Ducati, Yamaha and Suzuki all looking looking like they’re ahead of Honda at this point, it’s testing the team can ill-afford to miss.

The Superbike World Championship is already two meetings in, and Honda isn’t exactly looking strong there. Although currently third in the manufacturer standings behind Ducati and Yamaha, the top Honda rider is Leon Haslam on a non-factory bike, who sits 5th. Max Biaggi on the brand new Aprilia is ahead of him in 4th, and the top works Honda rider is Johnny Rea, down in 8th.

Maybe British Superbikes can provide some ray of hope for Honda. With no sign of the pesky Ducati in the series this year, Honda will want to take full advantage. HM Plant Honda has tested alongside Crescent Suzuki in Spain, but it was Sylvain Guintoli on the Suzuki who came out on top, albeit only marginally. Airwaves Yamaha has yet to test, which is strange, but evidence from the world stage suggests that the bike should be good. Regardless, Honda should at least expect to be on the podium regularly.

Given that the Honda Civics entered by Team Dynamics aren’t factory-backed, I’m not sure how bothered Honda will be about the British Touring Car Championship. BMW look after their privateers though, so Honda may be interested. After yesterday’s test at Rockingham, it’s BMW who will be the happier. The Civic managed 6th fastest, behind the two Team RAC BMWs and the three VX Racing drivers. But again, Team Dynamics should be somewhere around the front of the grid.

It’s all very early to write Honda off for 2009 of course, and though it’s perhaps not looking ideal, they could come good yet.

But how different it could all look for Honda if only they’d held on to their Formula 1 team. Instead it’s now Brawn GP, and looking like a bloody good car. A car developed by Honda over the past year or more, after giving up on 2008 to concentrate on 2009. A car being run by a team basically financed by Honda by all accounts – giving the team what it would have cost to shut down the operation – but without the word Honda on it anywhere. It’s quite, quite ludicrous.