On the charge! Mir cuts through the field as Marini equals best Honda Qualifying

Another day of intrigue at the Indonesian GP as the Honda HRC Castrol team once again featured prominently throughout, Joan Mir with an incredible recovery to fifth and Luca Marini leading the Sprint from the line after qualifying on the second row.

Picking up where they left off on Friday, the Honda HRC Castrol team were straight to work as both Joan Mir and Luca Marini assessed the adjustments their team had done overnight. With little change in the conditions at the Mandalika Circuit, it was another physically demanding day not just for the riders but also the mechanics working away in the garage.

Yellow flags restricted Joan Mir’s performance during Q2, only able to manage 12th on the grid when the 15-minute session came to a close. Turning his frustrations into motivations, the #36 authored a memorable comeback as he marched his way through the field. Quickly into the top ten, Mir was able to match the pace of the podium finishers and catch his fast-starting teammate in the closing stages of the Sprint. Taking fifth place echoed his Japanese GP performance despite his complicated grid slot.

Matching his best grid position as a Honda rider, first achieved at the San Marino GP a few weeks ago, Luca Marini secured a solid sixth to start from the second row. Victim to a yellow flag incident late in Q2, the Italian had the potential to challenge for more. All of this was forgotten as the lights went on the Sprint and the #10 shot forward with his best start of the year, leading into the opening corner. An intense brawl with first Raul Fernandez and then eventual Sprint winner Marco Bezzecchi erupted, Marini fending off countless attacks from the Aprilia rider and crossing the line in sixth, just behind his teammate. A post-race penalty due to tyre pressure would drop Marini to 13th.

Today’s results have both sides of the Honda HRC Castrol prepared for what is sure to be an interesting Indonesian GP on Sunday. Especially if weather forecasts are to be believed, rain or shine – both Mir and Marini have shown they have the speed the challenge at the front again.