Luca Marini made it two finishes from two starts at the French GP while teammate Joan Mir crashed showing top-ten pace and focusing on positives.
A record-breaking crowd of close to 300,000 fans witnessed another thrilling edition of the French GP. Dark clouds would loom overhead, but fears of rain would go unanswered over the course of the 27-lap French Grand Prix.
Luca Marini once again focused on improving his style and riding of the Repsol Honda Team over the running of the race. Starting well, he mixed with the other Honda riders before settling into his rhythm and taking the maximum benefit from the laps available. Riding with the other Honda riders has helped Marini to further understand the areas he and the team have room to improve. He finished 16th, just shy of the points.
Looking to put Saturday’s issues behind him, Joan Mir made a spirited start to the race and set about quickly establishing himself as the leading Honda. Able to consistently match the pace of those running inside the top ten with low 1’32s, the #36 marched steadily forward to enter the group battling for the top ten. Unfortunately, a fall on Lap 15 would end his charge. Although the result was disappointing, Mir leaves France pleased with the progress he and the Repsol Honda Team made over the course of the weekend. In particular, he feels that the race pace of himself and the Honda RC213V is getting closer to that of his rivals’.
The Repsol Honda Team will now prepare for the Catalan Grand Prix on the outskirts of Barcelona. The journey will go via Mugello for a private one-day test for both riders.
Luca Marini
16TH
“It was another long race for us where we are working on those same areas that are troubling us. We can see that Joan, who was doing a great race until he fell, is able to make a big step over the course of the weekend. I am missing this step a little bit so we need to understand that. I am looking forward to Mugello for the test. I am sure that we can find something there and bring it into Barcelona.”
Joan Mir
DNF
“The important thing to take away from today is the feeling that I had on the bike. After yesterday and the issue we had, it was great to be able to make another step with the setting and have a good pace in the race. I was able to confirm my feelings and I want to say thanks to the Repsol Honda Team for their work today, they provided me with a bike where I could attack. It’s important to remain focused on the positive, which is the pace we showed and the work we are doing. Now we go to Mugello to check a few things.”
- From Repsol Honda MotoGP Team Press Release
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