The day started with practice and Q1, with the Repsol Honda Team picking up right where they left off and continuing to improve. Joan Mir took a step forward and took 18th place on the grid, just behind Alex Marquez, while Luca Marini tried to close the gap to his teammate and took 21st place. The pair lined up on the grid for Saturday afternoon's 13-lap sprint race with their sights set on progress.
A determined Luca Marini gained a positive result from another completed race and with more laps and more data he and the Repsol Honda Team are taking another step towards improvement. I got closer. The Italian, who finished 18th, overtook his teammate as soon as the race started and raced enthusiastically. Armed with this information, Marini and the team are planning a final warm-up on Sunday morning before taking on the French Grand Prix in front of a packed crowd.
Joan Mir's race came to an early end as he crashed at Turn 8 on the fourth lap but was not injured and returned to the garage and retired. Confident that he has pinpointed the problem that caused his crash and slow start in the race, Mir will aim to bounce back on Sunday, aiming for points and top Honda honors.
The Repsol Honda Team is now turning its attention to Sunday's French Grand Prix, which will feature 27 laps around the Le Mans circuit, scheduled to start at 2pm local time. The forecast is starting to look bleak, and unpredictability from flag to flag could open up endless possibilities.