MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Luca Marini arrives at the 2026 Spanish MotoGP in Jerez as the leading Repsol Honda Team rider in the championship standings, yet sits only tenth overall.
That position reflects incremental progress rather than competitiveness at the front, despite Marini delivering his strongest weekend of the season at COTA. The Italian secured fifth place in the Sprint before overtaking Francesco Bagnaia on the final lap of the grand prix to finish ninth. However, he still trailed a group dominated by Aprilia Racing, Ducati Lenovo Team, and KTM machinery.
Marini crossed the line 14.471 seconds behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi, underlining the current performance gap. He pointed out that the competitive level across the grid has intensified, with the leading group now operating at a consistently high standard across all conditions.
“It was a race that shows that the level of everybody has increased so much. This year, the first eight bikes are working really well and it's difficult to be there,” Marini said.
“We are pushing in every corner, every braking at the limit for all the race because also the tyres are working very well.”
Marini acknowledged that finishing ninth does not meet the team’s expectations, stressing that further development of Honda’s overall package is required to close the deficit.
“It’s tough. We are not so happy that we are still P9. We want something more, but we need to improve more our package.”
“Let’s see what we can have in the Jerez test to be a little bit more in front.”
Looking ahead to Jerez, Marini believes the circuit will provide a clearer benchmark of Honda’s true competitiveness. Given its familiarity to all riders, Jerez is expected to offer a more representative comparison against rival manufacturers.
“Jerez is a circuit that everyone knows really well, and I think it will be a better signal of where we are compared to the other bikes,” he explained.
“Like always, getting into Q2 is our first focus of the weekend and then we will see what’s possible on Saturday and Sunday.”
On the other side of the garage, Joan Mir is aiming to end a run of five consecutive non-scoring races since Buriram. Despite showing underlying pace, including a fifth-place qualifying result at COTA, Mir has been unable to convert performance into results.
“Jerez is a good circuit to understand many things, and I hope that we can have the same speed we’ve had in the opening races,” Mir said.
“Our approach doesn’t change; I know that we can be competitive and I will always keep giving my maximum to extract the most from the bike and the situation.”
“It will also be interesting to see what the Monday test brings as well. A busy weekend to get back into the groove.”
With Honda still facing a measurable performance deficit to its rivals, the Spanish Grand Prix represents a critical evaluation point. Combined with the post-race test, the Jerez weekend could play a decisive role in shaping Honda’s development direction as the championship enters its European phase.
Baca Juga
Toprak Razgatlioglu hadapi MotoGP Jerez 2026 dengan pengalaman juara WorldSBK, namun fokus pada adaptasi Yamaha V4 dalam proyek baru.
Johann Zarco pastikan kembali ke Suzuka 8 Hours 2026 bersama Honda, bidik kemenangan ketiga beruntun di tengah jadwal MotoGP yang padat.
Marc Marquez datang ke MotoGP Jerez 2026 dengan cedera lengan kanan yang masih terlihat, setelah kecelakaan keras di COTA.
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