A day of mixed weather and race restarts left the Repsol Honda Team hungry for a more fortunate Sunday at the Spanish GP.
Cooler morning conditions offered Joan Mir a different situation to assess the Repsol Honda Team RC213V, the #36 able to find some improvements. Mir started the Q1 session with immediate speed as he battled for a Q2 transfer spot but was left missing the last tenths of a second needed after his two falls on Friday. 20th on the grid with a best time of 1’37.346 had Mir with work to do in the 12-lap Sprint.
Red flagged on the first lap, Joan Mir’s excellent start which took him from 20th to 12th would unfortunately be for nothing as the grid was reset. Mir’s efforts to recover positions again in the restarted Sprint would be in vain as he suffered a second fall of the weekend at Turn 6 late in the race. Uninjured in the fall, Mir is hopeful of improvements on Sunday as he aims to find the speed he showed in the opening races and tests of the year.
With the primary objectives of learning and enjoying, Iker Lecuona eagerly started his second day with the Repsol Honda Team at the Spanish GP. Known for his wet-weather ability, the WorldSBK regular was excited by the dark clouds which gathered overhead at the end of Free Practice 3. It would amount to just a light sprinkling of rain, but Lecuona continued to push and give his maximum regardless of the conditions.
Qualifying 1.2 seconds behind his teammate for the weekend, Lecuona lined up on the grid determined to stay with the riders ahead and learn. Unphased by the added pressure of the red flag and the restart, Lecuona immediately moved ahead of both Tech 3 riders and spent the majority of the race battling Jonas Folger. Beating the German Test rider, Lecuona ended his first Saturday Sprint Race content and ready for tomorrow’s Grand Prix.
Both Repsol Honda Team riders will get a chance to improve their fortunes tomorrow, Sunday April 30, with the Spanish Grand Prix. Scheduled to start at 15:00 Local Time and run over 25 laps, the race looks set to once again be a battle between riders and the fierce Spanish sun.