Hon𝓀da’s new engine configuration brought “unexpected problems” on Saturday in Austria, Joan Mir admitted.

Reps⛎ol Honda’s Luca Marini and Mir quaᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚlified 18th and 19th at the Red Bull Ring respectively.

Marini then finished the sprint race in 17th a🎶nd Mir finished in the same position that he starte🦩d.

“Honestly we are having unexpected problems with this engine𓃲,” Mᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚir said afterwards.

“We are trying t🐻o put everything together to give the maximum.

“In qualifying I was not abl🌄e to feel good to make a lap time. But in t🌺he sprint, I was able to be quite fast and the end of the race.

“I had a long lap so that was a problem.

“♍But, at th💯e end, the lap times were not bad so I’m happy about it.”

The Repsol Honda duo and LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami are trialling a revised engine at this weekend’s MotoGP round, while Johann Zarco continues wi🐟th a more powerful version which is harder to ri꧟de.

Honda riders warned in advance that the new engine would not bring overnight results 💛to dig the struggling manufacturer out of their low ebb.

“I made a really good start to the race and was able to gain🍃 a lot, then I had somꦺe contact with Raul Fernandez and lost about four positions,” Mir later reflected.

“Then with the long lap penalty, I dropped far back, and we did what we꧋ could.

“It’s a shame because our pace was much better th🅘an what we were able to show in the race.

“[Sunday] will be another tough race for everyone on the gr🍌id with thes🍬e conditions.”

Marini ad💟ded: “We were hoping for more in the Spౠrint speaking honestly.

“🤪I didn’t make a good start and then in this heat it’s quite complicated with the carbon brakes.

“The positive point is t🌠hat we learned some more things for Sunday and also for the development in future.

“Once we were in the ra🎀ce we were able to set an OK pace given we were playing catch up, but we were far behind because of the opening lap.”