MotoGP Thailand, Honda one step away from a trio in Q2
Already at the end of 2025, Honda had shown signs of growth, and the advancement in the concession system testified to this. In winter, the Japanese manufacturer confirmed these signs, appearing consistently in the top-10 and sometimes even in the top-5. And now that the 2026 World Championship has begun, we find the RC213V qualified for Q2 thanks to Joan Mir and Johann Zarco. A double passage that could have been a trio if Luca Marini – 11th – had shaved another 24 thousandths off his time.
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The Japanese remain satisfied with an excellent Friday, in which Mir achieved a high-level final lap, taking seventh place overall. Marini, who was among the top ten for a long time before the rain, has the chance to join his brand mates in Q2 to make the most of the good race pace shown today.
Mir’s words
“When there are critical conditions like those this afternoon, confidence in the bike really makes the difference. In the last 12 months, my confidence in the Honda has grown a lot and thanks to this we were able to fight until the end of the session and reach our goal”, commented the 2020 world champion. “The situation was clear: everything would be decided on the last lap. We reached our first goal of entering Q2 and now we have to work for the Sprint and the race. I don’t know exactly what will happen with the weather, but we will be prepared for anything”.
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Marini’s words
“I felt I had managed the situation really optimally, stopping before everyone else and starting my time attack at a different point. But we were unlucky because it didn’t rain, so we had to do a second time attack and I wasn’t in the best position on the track, which prevented me from improving my lap time”, Marini added. “It’s a shame because I think the level is much higher and tomorrow in Q1 will be tough. It will be fundamental, but complicated, to get a good grid position because our race pace seems quite competitive”.
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