Under-the-radar Honda star wary of Yamaha’s big strength at Le Mans

Can Honda get back on terms with Yamaha at the Fren🎃ch MotoGP?

Luca Marini
Luca Marini

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Luca Marini’s run of four consecutive top-ten finishes has quietly made him the most consistent Honda rider in the 2025 MotoGP season so far.

But ahead of the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, the Italian is d🎀etermined😼 to convert that race-day rhythm into stronger Saturdays, with Q2 qualification now the clear priority.

“Let’s hit the ground running and focus on getting int🎶o Q2 to prime ourselves for the races,” said Marini. “Each weekend we have been able to build our pace and take steps throughout - we need to keep doing this.”

Marini believes Le Mans’ heavy br⛄aking zones will play to the strengths of RC213V.

“There is a lot of heavy braking in Le Mans, which should suit us,” he added. “I am looking forward to having anot🐲her weekend of good battles on track like in 𓄧Jerez.”

While Marini’s race pace continues to impress, tyre-related vibration remains a limiting factꦚor, particularly on used rubber.

“In my case, when I have a new tyre, I don’t have so much vibration, it’s manageable. But when the tyre drops, I start to enter sliding in every corner, also in the fast corn🔯ers, and this causes this vibration every time,” he explained.

“If we were able to find a little bit more rear 🍃grip, we will have also less vibration. Because this is always cor✃related in my opinion.”

Yamaha "super strong" in time attacks

More rear grip would also help Honda - the big early-season improver - get back on terms with Yamaha, which has vaulted to second in the constructor𒊎s’ standings after Fabio Quartararo’s Jerez podium heroics.

“What is true is that Yamaha, on the time attack, 💯is always super strong. They have a lot of grip when they put the new rear tyre,” said Marini. “While for me, when we put new tyres, we don’t﷽ feel this extra grip.

“We are strong more in race pace, in my opinion. And𝐆 if we are able to take out the vibration, our pace can be strong in every race. But for 💃qualifying, we never feel this extra grip.”

Quartararo is currently the third🌳-best qualifier of the 2025 season, behind only Marc and Alex Marquez. 

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Johann Zarco is the highest Honda with eighth place in the BMW Awa🐻rd. Joan Mir i❀s tenth and team-mate Marini just 16th.

Joan Mir, 2025 Spanish MotoGP
Joan Mir, 2025 Spanish MotoGP

Joan Mir: “We will succeed”

On the other side of the HRC garage, Joan Mir has shown impressive speed, rea🌱ching Q2 on multiple occasions and fighting for top Honda honours with Johann Zarco.

However, the Spaniard has ൩reached the chequered flag in just four races, ꦦleaving him 18th in the world championship.

“Coming to L𓂃e Mans,🌺 our objective is simple: get points on the board that reflect our efforts and our speed,” said Mir.

“The potential is there, we have go🌃od speed, we are able to fight regularly in Q2 and be in the second group in most races. 

“I have no doubts that the team and I can do it, so our approach for France is the same. We keep working, we keep pushing an𒁏d we will succeed.”

Mir’s Jerez test activ💝ities included a debut on the new Honda engine used by wild꧒-card Aleix Espargaro in the grand prix weekend.

But it’s not yet clear if Honda will homologate the new engin𓃲e for its full-tꦗime riders at Le Mans.

“Because we have an acceptable base and an acceptable performance with the current engine, w𝔍e have to be sure that if we put this new engine on track, we will be faster,” Mir expl🍨ained at Jerez.

Marini added: “Let’s see how and when we can have this new prototype of engine and for sure it wi🌱ll be a little step forward.”

Either way, at least one Honda rider is set to use the new engine this weekend with another HRC test rider, Takaaki Nakagami, taking over the Espargaro bike for his debut wild-card🤪 at Le Mans.

LCR’s Zarco remains Honda’s top rider in the MotoGP standings, in seventh overall. 𝕴Marini is 12th, Mir 18th and rookie🍬 Somkiat Chantra 23rd.

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