In the latest debate about Honda HRC’s performances, Luca Marini has shared his perspective on the difficulties the team has faced during MotoGP qualifying. Although the bike has shown competitiveness in races, its performance in qualifying practice has been inconsistent.
Marini, who is Honda’s current top scorer this season, indicated that other manufacturers have achieved significant improvements between Friday’s practices and qualifying. Despite all Honda riders obtaining good results in races, the qualifying process remains a significant obstacle for the team.
So far, Marini has only managed to reach Q2 on two occasions during the first eleven races. His best starting position has been ninth, while other teammates have achieved better results, such as Joan Mir with his fifth starting position.
According to Marini, Honda is already extracting nearly maximum performance on Fridays, but other manufacturers seem to increase their speed before qualifying. ‘This is where our main challenge lies: being able to improve on Fridays as well,’ the rider explained.
Marini stated: ‘I always feel that I improve my time in Q1, but there are competitors who seem to discover more speed as qualifying approaches. We are giving it our all from the start.’ This situation has led the rider to reflect on whether some brands might be hiding their true performance during Friday’s practices.
In an additional intervention, his teammate, Joan Mir, shared that even though he has improved his qualifying, visiting Q2 does not always translate into an optimal result, as he himself experienced in Brno, where the dirty track made it difficult for him to achieve a good time. Mir mentions that there is currently a lack of competitive package to fight for the top spot, acknowledging that his bike has limitations that need to be addressed.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
