Barcelona bound Honda HRC Castrol with an eye on the future
Circuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaThe future secure, the Honda HRC Castrol team return to the circuit to start a busy period for Luca Marini, Joan Mir and the Honda RC213V.
From the brand-new Hungarian GP to the stalwart Catalan GP at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Just outside the city centre, the 4.66-kilometre-long track first hosted the Gran Premio de Catalunya in 1995 - having previously held the European Grand Prix. Host of frequent tests, the eight right hand bends and six left corners are well known by the entire grid and offer a clear point of reference between seasons.
A contract extension and his best result as a Honda HRC rider to date have all eyes on Luca Marini as he arrives in Barcelona. Having spent the last two races working on a number of new items with Honda HRC's engineers, the Catalan round is a well-timed moment to take stock and make comparisons. With points in hand from every round he has contested, the #10 has a clear run of form to continue. Marini's Friday and Q2 performances in Hungary demonstrated once again the importance of starting high up the grid.
Joan Mir's Hungary weekend once again showed his untapped potential as small moments and a crash limited him from going with his teammate and fighting for top Honda honours. The Barcelona circuit has always been a talisman for the #36, taking four top-ten finishes there during his time as a premier class rider. Continuing the top six challenge he has put on in recent rounds will put Mir in good stead for the rush to the end of the season.
Location: Circuit de Barcelona - Catalunya
In 1989, through the joint collaboration of the Catalan Autonomous Government, the Montmeló Town Council and the Royal Automobile Club of Catalunya (RACC), work began on giving one of Europe's most beautiful cities a state of the art race track to match. The Circuit de Catalunya opened on the doorstep of Barcelona in September 1991 and welcomed its first international event that same month, hosting the Spanish F1 Grand Prix. It went on to host the European Motorcycle Grand Prix and in 1995 became home to the Gran Premio de Catalunya. Before the start of the 2018 MotoGP season, the circuit underwent a full track resurfacing while key changes were made to increase safety standards. The new developments have seen an extended run-off area at turn 13 of the MotoGP layout which required demolition of two sections of a grandstand with another relocated. The run-off area was filled with gravel and from the braking point it now provide an extra 20 metres of run-off space. The track changes have altered the circuit layout by 28 metres (from 4.655 to 4.627 km) with turn 10 using the smaller F1 corner at La Caixa which was already used in 2016 and 2017.
It's great to announce the extension of our collaboration with Honda HRC, I am really excited to continue with this project. We arrive in a good moment after a strong weekend in Hungary, but we need to understand that Barcelona is another style of circuit, and we need to keep working hard. The grip is very different and this is still something that is impacting our performance quite a lot, it will be important to adapt as the track condition evolves over the course of the weekend. We need to continue as we have and keep our focus. Let's end the year in a positive way.
It's great to announce the extension of our collaboration with Honda HRC, I am really excited to continue with this project. We arrive in a good moment after a strong weekend in Hungary, but we need to understand that Barcelona is another style of circuit, and we need to keep working hard. The grip is very different and this is still something that is impacting our performance quite a lot, it will be important to adapt as the track condition evolves over the course of the weekend. We need to continue as we have and keep our focus. Let's end the year in a positive way.
Montmelo is a circuit I know well and that we have had some tests at, both ourselves and the Test Team. We have been able to have some really good speed the past few weekends and good results in Austria, last time in Hungary we had some misfortune again, but this can happen in our situation. To me, I know that we can be in and around that top six or seven if we put everything together during the weekend and make the step at critical moments. We are improving, we just need to keep on working.
Montmelo is a circuit I know well and that we have had some tests at, both ourselves and the Test Team. We have been able to have some really good speed the past few weekends and good results in Austria, last time in Hungary we had some misfortune again, but this can happen in our situation. To me, I know that we can be in and around that top six or seven if we put everything together during the weekend and make the step at critical moments. We are improving, we just need to keep on working.