Strong foundations set Luca Marini up for a successful Sprint Saturday in Barcelona, taking points as Joan Mir battled forward.
Explosive MotoGP World Championship action punctuated the day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the Honda HRC Castrol team topped sessions and put themselves into the heart of the action. Times were tight and if the Sprint is a preview of what to expect, Sunday’s full-length Grand Prix be a true test for the entire grid.
Luca Marini’s Friday efforts again paid dividends as the Italian passed directly into Q2, avoiding a Q1 with four MotoGP World Champions and securing tenth on the grid with a best time of 1’38.327. From the head of the fourth row, the #10 made another strong start aboard his Honda RC213V machine and immediately began a race-long battle with Johann Zarco for top Honda honours. They were joined during the mid-stages of the race by Fermin Aldeguer and Marco Bezzecchi before the pair suffered a collision. Crossing the line in eighth, Marini continues his steady comeback in the championship standings and now sits 12th overall.
The day started on the highest of highs for Joan Mir, the 2020 World Champion leading Free Practice 2 in the morning and showing very competitive pace. Setting a time of 1’38.214 in Q1 demonstrated just how difficult this session can be as Mir finished in seventh – despite being a tenth faster than his teammate’s qualifying time from Q2. The fighting was fierce for Mir and the riders behind as the Sprint began, the #36 clawing his way up to 13th place as he held back Francesco Bagnaia. A three-place penalty for disturbing another rider at Turn 5 earlier in the day means Mir will start Sunday’s race in 20th.
Now Warm Up and 24-laps of the Catalan GP are all that remain of the weekend, a final chance for Marini and Mir to show their speed and the improvements of the Honda RC213V before heading to Misano.