A long-awaited return to the front row of the grid as Joan Mir equalled his best MotoGP qualifying result, putting his Honda in second before a spirited race to fourth. Honda HRC Castrol teammate Luca Marini locked in another top ten performance and increased his points total.
For the first time since the Italian Grand Prix in 2023, a factory Honda RC213V machine found its home on the front row of the grid. The result and subsequent performance in the Sprint race is the next step in Honda HRC’s continual journey back to the form which has amassed more than 800 wins across all classes. Boosted by recent upgrades, Joan Mir moved the Honda HRC Castrol garage to the edge of their seats as he went fastest with just a few minutes left in the Q2. His 1’43.003 – almost a second and a half faster than his 2024 qualifying time – would earn Mir second on the grid, his debut front row as a Honda HRC rider and his first since the 2022 Portuguese Grand Prix. A result which was met with great delight by Honda HRC staff and management.
Elation after a season of hard work and heavy knocks, Mir and the team quickly regained their steely focus for the Sprint. Starting well, the #36 held onto second for several laps before he became embroiled in an intense battle with champion elect Marc Marquez. Fourth at the chequered flag, Mir followed his qualifying performance with a career best finish in the Sprint race. A significant boost to morale and motivations, the targets for Sunday are clear.
The metronome that is Luca Marini continued to work away as he headed the third row of the grid in seventh, 1.4 seconds faster than his time set here in 2024 and only two tenths off the front row. With chaos erupting at the first corner, the Italian kept his composure and advanced forward as the 12-lap Sprint got underway. Tucking in behind Quartararo, Marini and the Frenchman tried to close the distance to the group ahead with the #10 ultimately ending just four seconds off the top five. Seventh and with three more points in hands, Marini’s march towards tenth overall continues.
Expectations are high for Sunday’s 24 lap as Honda HRC aim to end their home weekend on a high.