Honda HRC Castrol aim to regroup after complicated Portimao Saturday
12th across the line at the end of the Sprint, a fast-starting Luca Marini brought it home for Honda. Meanwhile, Joan Mir’s potential was masked by an early issue. The pair were frustrated after a run of strong races.
Overnight rain left a damp track as morning practice began.
Luca Marini and Joan Mir completed just a handful of laps. The conditions were too wet for slicks but too dry for wets until the final moments. 18th and third respectively, Marini and Mir turned their attentions to Qualifying and the Sprint as the sun gained control.
Entering Q1 as one of the favourites, Marini attacked straight away. He had already understood the condition of the circuit from the previous session. As the flag came out on Q1, less than a tenth of a second would again heartbreakingly separate the Italian from progressing further. Starting from 13th and as determined as ever, Marini shot off the line with another rocket launch. He immediately charged into the top ten as the Sprint began.
A moment at Turn 5 would see Marini lose a handful of positions. He settled into 12th place and kept fellow Honda rider Johann Zarco in his sights throughout the remainder of the Sprint. More work to do as the #10 hunts grip and a step from his overall pace.
Straight into the top 12 shoot out, Mir managed a solid seventh.
He led the third row of the grid as he and his side of the Honda HRC Castrol garage continued to refine his feeling on the Honda RC213V. Complications would arise when the 12-lap Sprint began. Mir was slow off the line and dropped right down the order into Turn 1. Rallying briefly, the #36 got back into the top 15 before opting to retire from the race. He chose this action to avoid risking further complications. Honda HRC are investigating the issue but are confident of avoiding a repeat on Sunday.
After such a strong series of races in Japan, Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia, Saturday’s result leaves Marini and Mir with work to do on Sunday. The 25-lap Portuguese GP is scheduled for 13:00 Local Time, ahead of the Moto3 race.
Luca Marini
12th
“A really frustrating day, missing Q2 compromised our race today but also we are lacking something in our overall rhythm. I had a moment at Turn 5 on one lap where I lost a bit of ground but it’s a trickier weekend than we expected speaking honestly. I was able to stay with Zarco in the Sprint after a really good start from myself. We need to try and improve the grip; the circuit is a little greener. We are learning and taking more information for next year, it’s important to always be moving forward.”
Joan Mir
DNF
“We are ready for Sunday, our lap time is good and I know that we can do a lot more than what we showed today. At the start, something wasn’t correct and I got a strange feeling. Everyone is working to understand fully what happened and that will be the first job of tonight. In Qualifying we missed a little bit with the lap time, the track conditions were very critical with grip and that hurts us maybe a bit more than the other riders. We know where our strengths are and I feel like we can exploit them more in the longer race.”