Battling on the Bass Straight – Honda HRC Castrol travel to Australia
The end of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship is in sight, but Luca Marini and Joan Mir have no intentions of slowing down as they prepare for what’s already shaping up to be an intense Australian Grand Prix.
Sitting on the calendar consistently since 1997, Phillip Island has continued to defend its spot as the most spectacular circuit in the MotoGP World Championship. Resting just meters away from the ferocious Bass Straight, Phillip Island’s fast and flowing 4.45 kilometres always produce incredibly close races and have been a very happy hunting ground for Honda HRC in the past with 15 premier class wins since 1989.
A staple inside the top five throughout the Indonesian GP weekend, Luca Marini is determined to match his performance again and deliver a well-earned podium. Having put together a solid weekend in Australia back in 2024, his 2025 appearance already bodes well with significant improvements to the Honda RC213V and Marini’s own performance this year. As is always the case, keeping a level head when the weather waxes and wanes will be crucial to taking the most from round 19.
Making his World Championship debut in Phillip Island back in 2015, Joan Mir would lift his first World Championship at the very same circuit just two years later when he conquered the Moto3 World Championship on his Honda NSF250RW. Recent years have been less forgiving to the #36, but his explosive potential is undeniable.
The competition in MotoGP is only getting closer and the scene is set for a memorable Australian Grand Prix, Marini and Mir ready to once again show what they and Honda HRC are capable of.
Luca Marini
“Back to work with the same focus as the last couple of rounds. In Lombok we learned a lot about many things and now we arrive in Australia ready to apply them. Phillip Island is one of the most unique circuits on the calendar in terms of the location and layout, you can arrive there to find yourself in a different place to other rounds. When the weather is good it’s a pleasure to ride so hopefully the forecast improves a bit. Our objective does not change for this weekend, myself and the Honda HRC Castrol team know what we are capable of with the package we have and it’s time to deliver.”
Joan Mir
“I have a lot of good memories in Australia, I always look forward to going back there and riding Phillip Island every year. It’s a circuit where always the rider can have a really big impact on the result, and coming there with a much stronger package compared to the previous years, I want to fight for something like we did in Japan and Indonesia. Good qualifying, see what the wind is doing on race day and get ready to battle – that’s the plan.”
Rider standings
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Points | Team | Constructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marquez Marc | 93 | SPA | 545 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati |
| 2 | Marquez Alex | 73 | SPA | 362 | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati |
| 3 | Bagnaia Francesco | 63 | ITA | 274 | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati |
| 4 | Bezzecchi Marco | 72 | ITA | 254 | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia |
| 5 | Acosta Pedro | 37 | SPA | 215 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM |
| 6 | Morbidelli Franco | 21 | ITA | 207 | Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | Ducati |
| 7 | Di Giannantonio Fabio | 49 | ITA | 184 | Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | Ducati |
| 8 | Aldegeur Fermin | 54 | SPA | 181 | Team Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati |
| 9 | Quartararo Fabio | 20 | FRA | 158 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha |
| 10 | Zarco Johann | 5 | FRA | 128 | LCR Honda | Honda |
| 11 | Binder Brad | 33 | RSA | 118 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM |
| 12 | Fernandez Raul | 25 | SPA | 112 | Trackhouse Racing | Aprilia |
| 13 | Marini Luca | 10 | ITA | 108 | Honda HRC Castrol | Honda |
| 14 | Bastianini Enea | 23 | ITA | 89 | Red Bull KTM Tech 3 | KTM |
| 15 | Mir Joan | 36 | SPA | 77 | Honda HRC Castrol | Honda |
| 16 | Vinales Maverick | 25 | SPA | 72 | Red Bull KTM Tech 3 | KTM |
| 17 | Ogura Ai | 79 | JPN | 70 | Trackhouse Racing | Aprilia |
| 18 | Miller Jack | 43 | AUS | 60 | Prima Pramac Yamaha | Yamaha |
| 19 | Rins Alex | 42 | SPA | 51 | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha |
| 20 | Martin Jorge | 89 | SPA | 34 | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia |
| 21 | Oliveira Miguel | 88 | POR | 32 | Prima Pramac Yamaha | Yamaha |
| 22 | Espargaro Pol | 44 | SPA | 16 | Red Bull KTM Tech 3 | KTM |
| 23 | Nakagami Takaaki | 30 | JPN | 10 | HRC Test Team | Honda |
| 24 | Savadori Lorenzo | 32 | ITA | 8 | Aprilia Test Team | Aprilia |
| 25 | Fernandez Augusto | 7 | SPA | 8 | Yamaha Test Team | Yamaha |
| 26 | Chantra Somkiat | 35 | THA | 6 | LCR Honda | Honda |
| 27 | Espargaro Aleix | 41 | SPA | 0 | HRC Test Team | Honda |
Location Information
Phillip Island, the self-styled home of Australian motorsport, is steeped in motor racing tradition, with the first car races having been held there on public roads in the 1920s. The first motorcycle races took place in 1931 and a permanent track was built in 1956. The circuit fell into disrepair… read more.
| Length | 4.448 kilometres / 2.764 miles |
| Width | 13 metres |
| Left corners | 7 |
| Right corners | 5 |
| Longest straight | 0.900 kilometres / 0.559 miles |
| Constructed | 1956 |
| Modified | 1988 |
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Phillip Island, Ventnor, Victoria, Australia - View in Google Maps
Records
| Pole Position | 1m 27.246s (183.5 km/h) Jorge Martin (Ducati, 2023) |
| Race Lap | 1m 27.765s (182.4 km/h) Marc Marquez (Ducati, 2024) |
| Race Time | 39m 47.702s (181.0 km/h) Marc Marquez (Ducati, 2024) |
| 2024 Race Winner | Marc Marquez (Ducati) |
| 2024 Sprint Winner | Jorge Martin (Ducati) |
