Steps forward in Qualifying for Luca Marini as he earned eighth on the grid via Q1 after impressive overnight gains, the Italian and teammate Joan Mir fighting on the edge of the points in an electric Sprint race.
Melancholic clouds hung over the Silverstone circuit as the second day of British GP action got underway. A brief Free Practice 2 session let the Honda HRC Castrol team run through last-minute setup changes before an all-important Q1 session began for both riders.
Seizing the opportunity with both hands, Luca Marini produced a perfectly timed lap to advance through as the fastest rider of the Q1 session. His 1’58.209 would put him just under a tenth clear of Morbidelli as narrow margins divided the field. Improving to a 1’58.135 would earn him top Honda honours in Q2 and see Marini earn eighth on the grid, his second-best grid position as a Honda HRC rider. The lap time is also almost a full second faster than his lap from Qualifying in 2024.
Achieving his first target of the weekend, the #10 dove for the inside as the lights went out on the 10-lap Sprint race. Locking horns with Bezzecchi and Acosta early on, Marini enjoyed a number of fierce fights throughout before coming home in 10th, 0.3s off a point scoring finish. A solid base to build on tomorrow.
Aiming to emulate his teammate, Joan Mir would again miss the crucial transfer cut off by less than 0.1s in Q1. A best time of 1’58.322 placed the #36 within 0.023s of joining his teammate in the battle for the front four rows of the grid. With strong pace in his pocket, Mir launched from 13th on the grid and tried to settle into his rhythm. Unable to fully replicate his feeling from the morning, Mir finished in 12th and was left searching for more.
Now all attentions turn to Sunday and the 20-lap Grand Prix of the United Kingdom, scheduled to take place at 13:00 Local Time, before the Moto3 race.
Luca Marini
10th
“Super satisfied with the job that me and the team did in the morning. We worked hard last night to set up the bike better for Qualifying and we finally made the step we have been looking for. I was feeling really comfortable to push for one lap and we achieved one target we had set. In the Sprint, I didn’t have the same feeling and normally we suffer with the Moto2 session before. I was able to put up a good fight with the other riders, but I was wanting more honestly. We know that we always do better on Sunday and with this better grid position, I am confident we can challenge for something.”
Joan Mir
12th
“Until the Sprint race we were working a lot to find the last few tenths in Qualifying because that’s all we need – less than half a tenth and we were in Q2. On the other hand, my pace has been strong all weekend, and I was confident of doing a good result in the Sprint. A tough race, a tough day to be honest. Our pace wasn’t what we had expected it to be and I couldn’t make up the positions I was expecting to. We have one more day to try something tomorrow before moving on to the next challenge.”
