Final preparations begin in Qatar for the Repsol Honda Team

An evening of positive progress left Joan Mir in an optimistic mood as the last test of the pre-season began while Luca Marini battled through illness to maximise his work on track.

Days after showing off their colours for the 2024 season, the Repsol Honda Team were back out on track as the final pre-season test commenced in Qatar. Running from 14:00 Local Time to 21:00, it was a more patient start to the first day in Lusail as both Joan Mir and Luca Marini entered the circuit just after 15:30 Local Time. Continuous running from the MotoGP field would see steady improvements to the conditions as the sun set and the floodlights were switched on.

Joan Mir continued to make improvements across the board as he ended the first day of the two-day test in 13th. A best time of 1’52.823, coming on lap 50 of 52, left the #36 content with what he had accomplished on the opening day. Having worked through a number of items already in Sepang, the two days on the outskirts of Doha will be about confirming the findings from Sepang and working to build a base setting for the opening round of the 2024 season. With the initial stages of their work done, Mir and his crew tried a number of aerodynamic and ergonomic items.

On the other side of the Repsol Honda Team garage, Luca Marini continued his adaptation to the Honda RC213V and was able to make consistent gains over the course of the evening. Like Mir, Marini spent much of Monday evening working to confirm what he and the team had found in Sepang. Battling some illness, Marini was still able to complete 51 laps and gather important information. He ended Monday in 18th, 0.6s back from his teammate.

Just one more day remains in the MotoGP pre-season, both Repsol Honda Team riders eager to once again take full advantage of all the available time as they prepare for their 2024 campaigns.