Merciless Mir pushes until the end
Le MansAnother strong day for Joan Mir who led Honda's charge in both Qualifying and the Sprint at the French GP, capturing a well-earned sixth place in the 13-lap dash.
Capitalising on his Friday speed to enter Q2 directly, Mir was able to put his Honda RC213V machine at the head of the third row in seventh position. Just 0.203s shy of pole position continued the closest MotoGP weekend of the year and this would be no different when the lights went on the Sprint. Gaining ground early, the 2020 MotoGP World Champion immediately locked horns with reigning World Champion Marc Marquez – a battle which would rage until the end of the race. Keeping Marquez behind, Mir spent much of the race looking for a way past Fabio Quartararo and eventually crossed the line in sixth place.
After a tough qualifying session, Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira had to start the Sprint from 18th on the grid. The Brazilian made a strong start and immediately gained positions, battling with rivals and pulling off strong overtakes. In the end, he crossed the line in ninth place, completing a solid comeback and scoring Sprint points for the first time.
Johann Zarco started Saturday at home with 11th in Qualifying, which meant a fourth-row grid spot. Once the Sprint race was underway, the Frenchman tried to establish his rhythm and battle for the top spots. A lack of feeling with the bike prevented him from pushing to his full potential and he ultimately finished just outside the points in tenth place.
Saturday proved to be a complicated day for Luca Marini, qualifying in 15th on the grid as he battled it out in the most tightly contested Q1 of the season. His French GP Sprint would last just two laps as he lost the front, escaping unharmed in the fall. With rain on the horizon, the Italian remains confident that he can end his weekend on a positive and continue his point-scoring run.
The 27-lap French Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 14:00 Local Time on Sunday, May 10. Already expected to be a record-breaking crowd, the fans will be waiting eagerly for their main course, rain, hail or shine.
We put together a solid Saturday, a hard race after a good lap in Qualifying. I enjoyed the race a lot and with Marc, Fabio and Pedro around you couldn’t make a mistake because they would attack. Of course, you always want more, but I earned that sixth place and we should be proud of it today with our package. What we need to do is replicate this performance, to be there and take advantage of a situation that could help us to be inside that top three. More things to improve, so no rest tonight to try and do the same tomorrow.
We put together a solid Saturday, a hard race after a good lap in Qualifying. I enjoyed the race a lot and with Marc, Fabio and Pedro around you couldn’t make a mistake because they would attack. Of course, you always want more, but I earned that sixth place and we should be proud of it today with our package. What we need to do is replicate this performance, to be there and take advantage of a situation that could help us to be inside that top three. More things to improve, so no rest tonight to try and do the same tomorrow.
It’s nice to have scored points for the first time; step by step, we’re getting there. During the Sprint, we had good speed and pace. What we’re missing is putting everything together in practice and qualifying. Today’s key was the start; we had good pace, and that is important. If it rains tomorrow, it will be the same for everybody. We’re on the right path; we’re rookies, and we need to push every day and keep learning.
It’s nice to have scored points for the first time; step by step, we’re getting there. During the Sprint, we had good speed and pace. What we’re missing is putting everything together in practice and qualifying. Today’s key was the start; we had good pace, and that is important. If it rains tomorrow, it will be the same for everybody. We’re on the right path; we’re rookies, and we need to push every day and keep learning.
Our balance is very sensitive when it comes to performing well and at a high level. Today I didn’t have the best feeling, and this morning’s crash complicated our plans. I finished 11th on the grid because I couldn’t repeat yesterday’s lap time. During the Sprint, despite a good start, after some laps, I started to struggle. I couldn’t maintain the pace and finished out of the points. Let’s try again tomorrow.
Our balance is very sensitive when it comes to performing well and at a high level. Today I didn’t have the best feeling, and this morning’s crash complicated our plans. I finished 11th on the grid because I couldn’t repeat yesterday’s lap time. During the Sprint, despite a good start, after some laps, I started to struggle. I couldn’t maintain the pace and finished out of the points. Let’s try again tomorrow.
A really strange crash, I touched the gas and lost the front straight away. Not our best day today, we weren’t as strong as we wanted to be and couldn’t make the step to challenge for the transfer spots. Maybe if there’s rain tomorrow, we can have an opportunity to do something. Everyone is so close in this track, it’s less than tenths splitting us so when you miss something even small it impacts you a lot. We keep working, looking to improve the grip and make more progress. Sunday is a new day.
A really strange crash, I touched the gas and lost the front straight away. Not our best day today, we weren’t as strong as we wanted to be and couldn’t make the step to challenge for the transfer spots. Maybe if there’s rain tomorrow, we can have an opportunity to do something. Everyone is so close in this track, it’s less than tenths splitting us so when you miss something even small it impacts you a lot. We keep working, looking to improve the grip and make more progress. Sunday is a new day.
