Diogo Moreira suffered a bitter pill at the MotoGP Misano race last weekend. The LCR Honda rider crashed at Turn 4 on lap three, just after he felt he had found a crucial breakthrough in his bike setup.
Moreira showed promise by finishing 11th in the Sprint after starting from 15th. However, he was one of two Honda riders to miss Q2, along with an ill Joan Mir. Moreira's main issue at Misano was the high-speed third sector, which includes the sixth-gear Turn 11 and the two slow right-handers before the first-gear Turn 14 hairpin.
“It was a shame,” Moreira said after the race. “Because this morning we finally found something after the whole weekend in this sector three. I also felt super-good on the first lap of the race, I was able to pass riders and I felt strong. I think today could have been a good race, but that's how it is. It's a small crash and we are okay, so we also have one more race next week, so we need to keep like this.”
The Brazilian explained that his LCR Honda team had worked to make the bike more stable through those high-speed turns in sector three. “We just make the bike more calm, by setup and also electronics side, so it was much easier to keep the speed on this corner,” he said. “We found something, and this morning was much easier to ride. I was able to keep all sectors the same as yesterday, just we improved in sector three – that was the key.”
Furthermore, Moreira admitted he was puzzled by the crash. “The crash today was difficult to understand, because on that corner I was not pushing. I was preparing sector two to pass Fabio [Quartararo]. At the end it was strange, but anyway, we are in our first year in MotoGP, so we can make these mistakes,” he added.
Despite failing to finish, Moreira took positives from a difficult weekend. He believes the improvement found will be useful for next season. “It was a difficult weekend for us, and we finally found something on the last day, and it will be better next year for sure,” he concluded.
Analysis: Impact of Crash on Moreira's Progress
The crash dealt a heavy blow to Moreira, especially as he had just found the right setup. Sector three, previously a weakness, was now a potential strength. However, the incident at Turn 4 prevented him from capitalizing on that improvement. Nevertheless, as a rookie, Moreira has shown rapid adaptation. He has finished 11th in the Sprint twice, demonstrating consistency in the premier class.
With a long season ahead, Moreira and the LCR Honda team have time to continue developing the RC213V. The improvement in sector three could be valuable for circuits with fast corners. If he can maintain momentum, it's not impossible that Moreira will achieve better results in upcoming races.
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