Honda’s Marquez continues upward trajectory with best result of 2023

Misano [San Marino], September 11 (ANI): A ‘perfect race’ for Marc Marquez on his way to a hard-fought seventh and a return to the top ten ahead of an important Monday Test. Joan Mir focuses on the positives after a fall ends his race early.

The weekend of progress continued inside the Repsol Honda Team garage as the Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini reached its climax with the 27-lap Grand Prix on Sunday. As the track temperature crept above 40°C, the MotoGP field set their sights on the challenge ahead.

From ninth on the grid, Marc Marquez made another flying start to establish himself well inside the top ten. By lap nine, he had moved himself up to sixth place where he would sit for the majority of the race as he stalked Maverick Viñales. Only in the final laps would the eight-time MotoGP World Champion be challenged, first by Miguel Oliveira and then by Raul Fernandez and Luca Marini – Marquez fending off the latter two in a fierce final lap battle.

The result is another step in the upward trajectory of Marquez and Honda’s results in recent rounds, the number 93 now having taken points in three consecutive races and earning the first top-ten of the year. All involved remain unsatisfied with these results however as the Repsol Honda Team strive to return to challenging at the front of the MotoGP World Championship. Monday’s test will be another important step in this journey with the final in-season MotoGP test taking place at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

Joan Mir will also be aiming to make the most of Monday’s running after failing to finish the Grand Prix. The #36 had already been forced to take avoiding action earlier in the race as Pirro and Miller clashed ahead of him, losing the ground he had gained and he ultimately slipped off at Turn 4. Despite the lack of results, Mir was pleased with the steps he and the team have made over the course of the weekend to improve his feeling on the Honda RC213V machine.

Both Repsol Honda Team riders will be back on track for Monday’s MotoGP test, a chance to sample what Honda HRC engineers have been working on away from the track.

“For me, this was the best race of the year alongside Le Mans. It’s my best Sunday of the season, I took the maximum that was available and passed our target. Our rhythm was very good until the soft rear option dropped a little bit at the end – but this is normal. In the end I was able to have some good battles with the Aprilia riders and Marini. The objective is to keep this going in the coming races. Before that we have an important test for the future, a first taste of what 2024 could hold. I’m looking forward to seeing how the bike will be with my riding style and then beginning to work with the engineers,” said Honda rider Marc Marquez.

“I wasn’t able to make a great start to the race honestly, but I was able to overtake more riders than yesterday so there was an improvement in that area. When Pirro and Miller crashed, I had to avoid them and lost some more time here as well as the positions I had gained. Then the next lap, I crashed in that same corner. Again, we are focusing on the positive points and the fact that we made some steps. Tomorrow we switch into our 2024 mindset and start working on the future,” Honda rider Joan Mir (DNF).