A highlight of every season for the Repsol Honda Team, the approaching Japanese GP brings with it unique demands for Joan Mir and Luca Marini in the home of Honda.
The final stop of a trip which started in Italy arrives this weekend for the MotoGP World Championship as another battle awaits at Mobility Resort Motegi. Having hosted the Japanese GP since 1999, the 4.8-kilometre-long track boasts a varied track layout which tests every aspect of a MotoGP machine. The Repsol Honda Team achieved their most recent podium there in 2023, Marc Marquez taking third in torrential conditions.
Ready to remount the ever-improving Honda RC213V, Joan Mir lands in Japan with a point to prove after a trying weekend in Indonesia where Mir was able to consistently show the newly unlocked potential in himself and the bike. Delivering on this potential and banishing the bad luck of Mandalika will be crucial for the 2020 MotoGP World Champion. Last year Mir took 12th in the Japanese GP.
Luca Marini arrives in Motegi ready for his first Japanese GP as a factory Honda rider, a special moment for anyone who has worn the Repsol Honda Team colours. Having missed last year’s race due to injury, this will be Marini’s second visit as a premier class rider to Motegi. Taking sixth there in 2022 shows his fondness for the track where he hopes to turn his fortunes around after a luckless weekend in Lombok.