Steps forward for both Luca Marini and Joan Mir, the Italian taking a satisfying 13th while Mir’s performance is restricted by an early fall.
Hard work and a methodical approach paid off for Luca Marini on Saturday in Japan as he was able to make significant progress over the course of the day. Qualifying down in 20th, the only way was forward as the field lined up for the 12-lap Sprint in Japan. With the conditions changing minute-by-minute, a calm and focused approach would be the order of the day. Able to run within four tenths of his best race lap, a 1’45.418, Marini picked his way through the field to end in 13th and take top Honda honours.
Dark clouds gathering overhead throughout Free Practice 2 set the scene for a dramatic Qualifying. Joan Mir entered Q1 primed to fight for the transfer positions after making progress in the morning. The tricky conditions with small, intermittent showers of rain made for a tough session where Mir ended seventh. A lightning start saw the #36 gain places straight away in the Sprint, but a crash would nullify that progress. Remounting, Mir showed impressive pace as he consistently lapped in the mid to low 1’45s, matching the speed shown by the top ten. He retired at the end of the race.
Both riders were able to accomplish significant progress overnight and take positives from their respective performances. Sunday offers another chance for the Repsol Honda Team to not just focus on the positives but also demonstrate them. The 24-lap race is scheduled to start at 14:00 Local Time and is set to be another edge of your seat affair.