Honda HRC Castrol complete intense Friday in Phillip Island
Phillip IslandFaster and tighter than ever, the Australian GP kept Luca Marini and Joan Mir on their toes until the final moments, Marini heading straight to Q2 in seventh and Mir left with work to do in 14th.
Stable weather throughout most of the day saw the entire field make impressive improvements in lap time. Luca Marini was able to do faster than the previous lap record, Joan Mir less than a tenth of a second off doing the same as times tumbled in the afternoon. Everything is building for one of the most exciting Grands Prix of the year, with just a few tenths set to make a big difference as 15 riders ended the first day within eight tenths of a second.
Luca Marini’s Friday in Australia began with assessing a new front cowling for his Honda RC213V machine. Finding some positives, the Italian and his side of the Honda HRC Castrol garage produced a great day of progress as Marini went almost two seconds faster between sessions. Ending the day in seventh with a 1’27.051, the #10 continues his run of direct Q2 appearances and again led the Honda charge.
After a run of strong races, Joan Mir will have to contest Q1 on Saturday after ending Friday in 14th overall. Overcoming a technical issue at the end of Free Practice 1, Mir also worked with the new aerodynamics as he attacked the top ten in the afternoon. Less than two tenths off tenth, the 2020 MotoGP World Champion will be a prime candidate to advance through to Q2. An intense evening of analysis and work by Honda HRC will no doubt help to find the last tenths he needs.
Everyone was really fast today thanks to the good weather; it was not easy to get into the top ten. I have to say my team did a great job to adjust the bike and find the speed – a busy day for them but we could see their efforts with the lap I did. It was a last lap leaving everything on the circuit. With the weather here I have some stiffness in my hip, but it is not a huge limitation for me and tomorrow it will be better. We worked a lot on used tyres and I am happy with the pace I was able to produce, already you can see that there are two or three riders who have a bit more pace, so we need to try and stay with them to open some margin in the races.
Everyone was really fast today thanks to the good weather; it was not easy to get into the top ten. I have to say my team did a great job to adjust the bike and find the speed – a busy day for them but we could see their efforts with the lap I did. It was a last lap leaving everything on the circuit. With the weather here I have some stiffness in my hip, but it is not a huge limitation for me and tomorrow it will be better. We worked a lot on used tyres and I am happy with the pace I was able to produce, already you can see that there are two or three riders who have a bit more pace, so we need to try and stay with them to open some margin in the races.
After the last races we have had, the goal is always Q2 but days like today can happen. We’ve made a lot of progress at stop and go tracks but in these fast and flowing circuits we still have something more to do. This is all part of the process of developing the bike and taking out 100%. Tonight we need to check everything well to see what areas we can improve. Last year was really tough for me here and we’ve already gone a lot faster, but I really feel that there is even more margin to improve. I’m positive about Saturday and Sunday.
After the last races we have had, the goal is always Q2 but days like today can happen. We’ve made a lot of progress at stop and go tracks but in these fast and flowing circuits we still have something more to do. This is all part of the process of developing the bike and taking out 100%. Tonight we need to check everything well to see what areas we can improve. Last year was really tough for me here and we’ve already gone a lot faster, but I really feel that there is even more margin to improve. I’m positive about Saturday and Sunday.
