Geared up for Goiania, Honda HRC Castrol return to Brazil
Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia – Ayrton SennaFor the first time since 2004, the MotoGP World Championship will be racing in the largest country in South America, Luca Marini and Joan Mir out to hit the ground running and show off their adaptability in the face of new challenges.
The last edition of the Brazilian GP was held in 2004 in Rio de Janeiro, the race won in spectacular style by the breakout Makoto Tamada on the Honda RC211V – his first of two wins that year. Goiania itself is no stranger to hosting Grands Prix, Wayne Gardner winning his World Championship there on the Honda NSR500 back in 1987.
Luca Marini is one of only a few riders to have experienced the Autodromo Internacional de Goiania – Ayrton Senna, when he attended an event there on a Honda CBR1000RR-R a year ago. A tight layout in the infield is balanced with a fast-opening sector which should produce competitive racing. The Italian showed his skill at adapting to new circuits in Hungary last year and Marini is keen to be closer to the front throughout the entirety of the weekend. Perhaps more crucial than ever at a tight circuit such as in Goiania, entering Q2 will be the first critical objective of the weekend.
Like his teammate, some of Mir’s best results have come at new circuits in recent years – both he and the Honda RC213V able to quickly find a competitive level while others rely more on past data. It will be a weekend of redemption for the #36, out to put Thailand’s misfortunes behind him and convert his pace into results. Mir's spectacular style is sure to give local fans something to cheer for.
The Honda HRC Castrol team now excitedly travel to Brazil, Honda’s largest two-wheel market in South America, before heading directly north for round three in Austin, Texas. 2026 is well and truly underway.
“I am really looking forward to this weekend; Brazil is a country that has a lot of passion and interest for motorcycles and discovering somewhere new is a unique point of MotoGP. In 2025 I got to ride the circuit on the CBR, it was quite a tight layout and I’m looking forward to seeing how things have progressed and changed with the track since then. Our package is quite strong from the start of a weekend which will help us to be competitive, new tracks like this make everything closer and we showed in Hungary last year the level we can achieve. The Thai weekend had an acceptable end, now it’s time to make a step and get closer.”
“I am really looking forward to this weekend; Brazil is a country that has a lot of passion and interest for motorcycles and discovering somewhere new is a unique point of MotoGP. In 2025 I got to ride the circuit on the CBR, it was quite a tight layout and I’m looking forward to seeing how things have progressed and changed with the track since then. Our package is quite strong from the start of a weekend which will help us to be competitive, new tracks like this make everything closer and we showed in Hungary last year the level we can achieve. The Thai weekend had an acceptable end, now it’s time to make a step and get closer.”
“We come to Goiania with a lot of motivation; in Thailand we were very competitive on Sunday. Getting up to speed at new circuits is something I am usually quite good at and the Honda finds a good level quickly, so I think we can be in our target zone from the start. Of course, we need to see how the circuit is and how everyone is going there but this makes the weekend more exciting! I have heard a lot about Brazil so I am looking forward to arriving in a new place.”
“We come to Goiania with a lot of motivation; in Thailand we were very competitive on Sunday. Getting up to speed at new circuits is something I am usually quite good at and the Honda finds a good level quickly, so I think we can be in our target zone from the start. Of course, we need to see how the circuit is and how everyone is going there but this makes the weekend more exciting! I have heard a lot about Brazil so I am looking forward to arriving in a new place.”