Misano
Luca Marini and Joan Mir had their best qualifying results of the season, starting in 15th and 16th places. The Repsol Honda Team felt positive after their efforts leading up to the Gran Premio dell’Emilia-Romagna, benefiting from a productive overnight session.
Both riders improved their lap times in Free Practice 2, setting the stage for a crucial Q1 session. Marini excelled, securing the top Honda spot and his best grid position of the year with a time just 0.3 seconds shy of a transfer spot. He started strong, keeping pace with Alex Marquez in the opening laps, and ultimately crossed the line in 16th, later promoted to 15th due to a penalty for Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Mir also showed promise, quickly making his mark in Q1 with a best lap of 1’31.450, placing him just 0.022 seconds behind Marini. However, he faced challenges during the Sprint due to vibration issues, complicating his race.
Despite these difficulties, the Repsol Honda Team heads into Sunday with optimism. ‘Qualifying 15th is a good step forward. We need to improve our first lap and make the most of the rear tire,’ said Marini. Mir added, ‘Today was positive, but we need to address the vibration problem. We finished the Sprint to gather more data.’ The race will take place at 1:00 PM local time on Sunday, covering 27 laps.
