Marini and Mir chase points in British GP Sprint

Steps forward in Qualifying for Luca Marini as he earned eighth on the grid via Q1 after impressive overnight gains, the Italian and teammate Joan Mir fighting on the edge of the points in an electric Sprint race.

Melancholic clouds hung over the Silverstone circuit as the second day of British GP action got underway. A brief Free Practice 2 session let the Honda HRC Castrol team run through last-minute setup changes before an all-important Q1 session began for both riders.

Seizing the opportunity with both hands, Luca Marini produced a perfectly timed lap to advance through as the fastest rider of the Q1 session. His 1’58.209 would put him just under a tenth clear of Morbidelli as narrow margins divided the field. Improving to a 1’58.135 would earn him top Honda honours in Q2 and see Marini earn eighth on the grid, his second-best grid position as a Honda HRC rider. The lap time is also almost a full second faster than his lap from Qualifying in 2024.

Achieving his first target of the weekend, the #10 dove for the inside as the lights went out on the 10-lap Sprint race. Locking horns with Bezzecchi and Acosta early on, Marini enjoyed a number of fierce fights throughout before coming home in 10th, 0.3s off a point scoring finish. A solid base to build on tomorrow.

Aiming to emulate his teammate, Joan Mir would again miss the crucial transfer cut off by less than 0.1s in Q1. A best time of 1’58.322 placed the #36 within 0.023s of joining his teammate in the battle for the front four rows of the grid. With strong pace in his pocket, Mir launched from 13th on the grid and tried to settle into his rhythm. Unable to fully replicate his feeling from the morning, Mir finished in 12th and was left searching for more.

Now all attentions turn to Sunday and the 20-lap Grand Prix of the United Kingdom, scheduled to take place at 13:00 Local Time, before the Moto3 race.