It was an all Repsol Honda Team battle for most of the Catalan GP, Joan Mir edging out Luca Marini and battling for points until the line.
Ideal racing conditions met the MotoGP World Championship riders as they lined up on the grid. Luca Marini had an excellent launch when the lights went out and moved to lead the Repsol Honda Team pairing in the opening laps. Locked nose to tail, Marini and Joan Mir would battle it out for much of the race.
Joan Mir would eventually emerge as the faster of the two riders, crossing the line in 16th after an intense battle with Takaaki Nakagami before being promoted to 15th due to a penalty up the field. The #36 was left wanting much more from the weekend but remains focused on future developments to the Honda RC213V bringing further gains.
It was a positive Sunday for Marini for was able to battle for top Honda honours during the opening part of the race with Mir and Nakagami. Changes to the Honda RC213V this weekend left the Italian feeling more comfortable on the bike, focusing on the overall improvements rather than the unique points brought up by the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
There’s no time to rest as another race, the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, and a post-race test are coming the very next week. An exciting prospect for Luca Marini who will ride in front of his home fans for the first time in Repsol Honda Team colours.
Joan Mir
15TH
“A tricky weekend comes to an end, but we knew this would be the case for us at this track. We’re trying a few things here this weekend that will help us a lot in the future, but this weekend was complicated. I am confident that we will be stronger in the next races and be able to return to what we were doing in the first race. Let’s keep working and focusing on the long term, a step is coming.”
Luca Marini
17TH
“Today was my best race as a Honda rider, I was feeling very strong at the start. I was behind Nakagami in the slipstream a lot and this was raising the temperature of the front. I felt more pace but couldn’t overtake him and honestly, he was riding well. The spin we had here is always difficult for all riders, so we can’t lose our focus and be smart on where to work. I think we are doing this as the bike is improving and I am feeling better. There’s more to come.”
