Mixed conditions and a mixed day for the Repsol Honda Team as Luca Marini and Joan Mir assessed a number of new items, ending the day in 18th and 19th respectively.
Aiming to get out on track and make the most of all track time available, the Repsol Honda Team would be thwarted by the remnants of torrential rain. A still drying track in the morning meant both Luca Marini and Joan Mir would be limited on running as they waited for the track to dry. Turn 15 in particular remaining wet for some time.
When the classic Italian coastal sunshine returned in the afternoon, Luca Marini immediately got to work as he assessed a new aerodynamics package first used in testing. The new package provided the home hero with an improved feeling on the Repsol Honda Team RC213V. A best time of 1’31.765 saw him go six tenths faster than the same session from the previous Grand Prix and close the gap to the riders at the top of the time sheets.
Having missed the previous weekend, Joan Mir was out to make up for lost time and get up to speed as quickly as possible. He spent the dry afternoon session working with the new package, finding some positive areas. Vibrations remain the main limit to Mir’s being able to make more progress forward, the 2020 MotoGP World Champion and his team continuing to work deeply in this area alongside HRC engineers.
Both riders and their teams will work hard throughout the evening to adjust their setups to the new upgrades as they target more progress on Saturday and Sunday.