Both Repsol Honda Team riders fought back to setup for a stronger Sunday in a complicated Sprint where Luca Marini and Joan Mir took 17th and 19th, masking their true potential.
Overnight thunderstorms did little to change the conditions in Spielberg as another day of intense heat enveloped the 4.35 kilometres of the Red Bull Ring. Q1 was an intense 15-minute session where inch-perfect precision was needed to gain any advantage in the tight group battling for the top two transfer spots. Setting the eighth and ninth fastest times in Q1 respectively, Luca Marini and Joan Mir lined up in close proximity for the Sprint Race.
Initially dropping back at the start, Luca Marini remained focused on his Repsol Honda Team RC213V. With the hot temperatures came even more challenging conditions, many around the #10 making mistakes while Marini steadily matched his pace lap after lap. Crossing the line in 17th, the Italian was hoping for much more from the Sprint but is positive that the data collected will help on Sunday.
Joan Mir’s race started well, the #36 immediately gaining ground with a rapid start when the lights went out. Contact with another rider and an early long lap penalty for track limits would also force Mir into recovery mode. Ending just behind his Repsol Honda Team teammate, Mir is confident his true potential will be on show in the full-length Grand Prix.
The lights are set to go out for the Motorrad Grand Prix von Oesterreich at 14:00 Local Time tomorrow, Sunday August 18.