A double DNF for Honda HRC Castrol, a tough pill to swallow after Joan Mir chased the podium and Luca Marini was in the midst of another impressive recovery.
The rains held off for the entirety of Saturday at the Sepang International Circuit, allowing for another busy day of work. With ample track time, the gaps between riders only continued to tighten and both Honda HRC Castrol riders looked primed to continue their top five performances with Marini leading the morning session and Mir close behind in fourth with mid 1’58s.
Having clinched the top ten on Friday, Joan Mir converted his Q2 speed into seventh on the grid and set about making his presence known in the Sprint. Attempting to ride around the outside of Fabio Quartararo into Turn 1, the #36 was on the move as he chased the leading trio. Lapping half a second faster than Acosta, the distance evaporated rapidly as Mir gave chase. Losing the front just as he reached the podium battle, Mir was unharmed in the fall, but his Sprint would end prematurely. Despite the crash, Mir and Honda HRC were able to take a number of positives away from the day and will return stronger on Sunday.
Missing Q2 just a few tenths, Luca Marini launched from 13th and put together one of his most aggressive races of the season. With Bezzecchi hot on his heels, Marini muscled his way through and into the top eight to enter the fight for the points. Resuming his intense battle with Pol Espargaro from Phillip Island, Marini attempted to pass the former Honda rider but contact between the two would see Marini fall and Espargaro pushed wide. This is Marini’s first crash of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship season.
The Honda HRC Castrol team have taken valuable lessons from Saturday and will return stronger for the 20-lap Malaysian GP on Sunday. Scheduled for 15:00, the Honda RC213V clearly has more to show around the 5.5 kilometres of the Sepang International Circuit.