Honda's Japanese Grand Prix weekend began with a cloud of uncertainty. Factory rider Joan Mir remained sidelined with a mystery illness, leaving the team to look elsewhere for encouragement. That encouragement came from an unexpected source.
Wildcard Takaaki Nakagami had the advantage of testing on Motegi's new surface, but his hopes were dashed before completing a single lap on a damp Friday morning. A violent highside left him with a broken collarbone and an early end to his weekend. Despite losing a rider and suffering three more crashes later in the day, Honda found reasons to smile. Somkiat Chantra, Mir's stand-in, led FP1 for half the session, setting the tone for a strange but promising Friday.
Chantra Shows Honda's Potential
Chantra's early pace came when few others were on track, and the circuit was drying. But this is a rider who propped up the field in his only MotoGP season in 2025 and hadn't ridden a MotoGP bike since. Simply not being last was a surprise. More impressively, he didn't fade when the rest joined in. He finished FP1 in 14th, and although 19th in the afternoon looked disappointing, it still outperformed last year's expectations.
Honda's Ceiling Remains Unhit
Further up the timesheets, there was evidence that a good Friday could have been excellent. Luca Marini struggled to 17th after an early crash in FP2, but the LCR duo of Diogo Moreira and Johann Zarco offered hope. Their ninth and tenth places were solid by Honda's standards, but both crashed at the end of the session and still made Q2 without improving on their final runs. Zarco's ideal lap time, the sum of his best sectors, suggests there is more pace to unlock.
With Chantra's surprise performance and LCR's speed, Honda has reason for optimism. Despite the injury setbacks, the team showed it still has fight. Qualifying and the race will be the real test, but Friday at Motegi has given a glimpse of hidden potential.
Baca Juga
Honda MotoGP hadapi GP Jepang dengan cedera, tapi Chantra dan LCR tunjukkan potensi tersembunyi di Motegi. Simak analisis lengkapnya.
Jorge Martin mengaku ritme musim lalu tak berlaku dan harus mulai dari nol di Jumat. Simak analisisnya jelang kualifikasi.
Pedro Acosta mengakhiri Jumat MotoGP Jepang di posisi kedua setelah merasakan performa KTM yang jauh lebih menjanjikan di Motegi dibandingkan musim lalu.
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