Luca Marini reveals ‘test’ plan after Honda’s grim Portimao sprint
"We need to use th✱is time꧂ on track to understand the behaviour of the bike," says 18th-placed Luca Marini
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Luca Marini insists that Honda used the Portuguese MotoGP sp꧙r🃏int race partly as a test to develop their bike.
Honda endured a horrible Saturday in Portimao, qualifying in the back💞 fou🗹r grid positions. Marini lined up 22nd.
Joan Mir’s 14th-place finish in the sprint was as good as it got for the struggling Japanese manufact🌄urer.
Repsol Honda teammate Marini was 🐈18th, the last of the riders to fini🤡sh the race.
LCR Honda’s Takaak🧸i Na🐻kagami was 17th, while Johann Zarco did not finish.
Marini admitted that he was half-racing and half-testin👍g on Saturday.
“Both. At this moment, we cannot fight for𓆏 points in a sprint race,” he said.
“So we need to use this time on track to 𒉰understand the behaviour of the b🐈ike.
“Now, it’s really difficult to workඣ on Frida༺ys. You do only five or six laps in a row, no more.
“So🎀 you cannot see the tyres. You start, and💮 you stop…
“The sprint is good to understand more things, to ജhave more information, to prepare better for the race tomorrow.”
He insisted: “Also, in the sprint, I am not going sl🅘ow. I’m pushing 1🅷00% because I want to beat my teammate.”
But Marini, Honda’s replacꦏement for Marc Marquez, was unable to do that.
He detailed his issues: “Mayb🦹e tougher than expected.
“We tried a different setti🤪ng for the sprint. We needed to test it, to try 12 laps in a row with the same tyres🙈.
“We found ཧsomething on the exit of corners. But w𒉰e lost a lot on entry and turning.
“For sure, it was not the perfect combination. We ne🎃ed to analyse the data to make it better for tomorrow.”
Marini said ab🗹out qualifying: “We are not strong for a time🔜 attack because of a lack of grip in the rear.”
Yet, despite a torrid Saturday, Marini insists the data-gat𝓰hering expedition was beneficial.
“But, the sprint was positive,” he said.
“We need to use every lap on track for information for the engineers to develop the b﷽ike.
“Because ]we are in a] rush.♎ Everyone wants to be more competitive, fighting for better positions.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everyt𓄧hing from🅰 American sports, to football, to F1.
