Luca Marini heads for final Phillip Island weekend
Phillip IslandHonda HRC Castrol will contest the Australian GP with Luca Marini as their lone representative, Joan Mir continuing his recovery while Aleix Espargaro heads for surgery.
The 2026 Australian Grand Prix will be the last race held at Phillip Island before the race heads to Adelaide from 2027. A circuit beloved by fans and riders alike, this weekend’s edition looks set to be an extra special one as everyone goes out for a final moment of glory. From taking the first win around the 4.45-kilometre circuit in 1989 with Wayne Gardner to collecting a total of 15 premier class wins, Phillip Island will always hold fond memories for Honda.
After a more complicated than expected weekend in Indonesia, Luca Marini is aiming to return to form and bring the fight to the top riders once again. 2025 saw the Italian score a pair of top ten finishes at the always unpredictable Phillip Island circuit – equalling his best premier class finish in Australia. 12th in the World Championship standings and only 17 points shy of the top ten, the weekend presents a good opportunity to close the gap to Aldeguer and Bastianini.
Joan Mir and his medical team are hard at work to return the #36 to the circuit but have deemed the Australian GP in Phillip Island too early and will continue to assess his condition.
After voluntarily withdrawing from the Indonesian Grand Prix, Aleix Espargaro will not travel to Australia after experiencing Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome during a private test at the Sepang International Circuit. The Honda HRC Development Rider will head for surgery in Barcelona in the coming days. He will not be replaced.
“Back to work after a short break as we get ready for three races in a row. Phillip Island is a circuit that every rider loves, coming down the straight with just the sea in front of you is something very unique and of course the layout is like nothing else on the calendar. The objective is to enjoy this weekend and capture as many points as possible, I know the team have been working even during this week between races to try and improve our performance. Five races left, five chances to show all that we have achieved together these past years.”
“Back to work after a short break as we get ready for three races in a row. Phillip Island is a circuit that every rider loves, coming down the straight with just the sea in front of you is something very unique and of course the layout is like nothing else on the calendar. The objective is to enjoy this weekend and capture as many points as possible, I know the team have been working even during this week between races to try and improve our performance. Five races left, five chances to show all that we have achieved together these past years.”