Honda HRC Castrol endure chaotic Assen Friday

Crashes, delays and red flags – a day of complications in the Netherlands as Joan Mir and Aleix Espargaro did their best to maximise every lap on track.

Overnight rain left a damp circuit for the first practice of the day at the TT Circuit Assen, a delay to the session allowing for the track condition to improve significantly. Two further delays would follow in the afternoon as the red flag was brought out twice due to falls and track condition, all riders fortunately avoiding serious injury.

Joan Mir showed his seven years of premier-class experience as he was one of the few riders who avoided falling during the course of the day. Finding almost a second and a half between sessions made for a significant improvement and left the #36 just 0.867s from the top spot. But in true MotoGP fashion, the times were dramatically close, and Mir ended the day in 17th overall, just two tenths from his fellow Honda rider Johann Zarco and a direct trip to Q2.

An excited Aleix Espargaro eagerly got to work on the Honda HRC Castrol RC213V as he made his debut as a replacement for Luca Marini. His afternoon would turn complicated when he fell heavily after losing the front early in the session, walking away without any serious injuries the Test Rider was left with just a single bike. This, combined with the frequent interruptions during the session made for a disappointing final position, something which Espargaro is determined to overcome on Saturday.

Both riders are primed and ready to deliver on their potential when action resumes at 10:10 Local Time with Free Practice 2. Q1 will be a pivotal point in the day, 15 minutes to see who has the potential to battle for the top ten and start the 13-lap Sprint with a slight advantage.