Luca Marini reveals ‘test’ plan after Honda’s grim Portimao sprint
"We💦 need to use this time on track to understand the behaviour of the bike," says 18th-placed Luca Marini
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Luca Marini insists that Honda used the Portuguese MotoGP sprint𒅌 race partly as a test to develop their bike.
Honda endured a horrible Saturday in Portimao, qualifying in the back four grid positi❀ons. Marini lined up 22nd.
Joan Mir’s 14th-place finish in the spri♈🐼nt was as good as it got for the struggling Japanese manufacturer.
Repsol Honda teammate Marini was 18th, the last of the ride𒊎rs to finish the race.
LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami was 17th, while Johann Zarco did not♐ finish.
Marini admit𝓰ted that he was half-racing and half-testing on Saturd🔯ay.
“Both. At thi🦩s moment, we cannot fight for points in a sprint race,” he said.
“So we need to use this timꦍe on track to understand the behaviour of the bike.
“Now, it’s really difficult to work on Fridays. You do only five or six laps in a row, no mo🐓re.
“So you cannot see the tyres. You s♌tart, and ཧyou stop…
“The sprint is good to understand mor🗹e things, to have more information, to prepare better for the race tomorrow.”
He insisted: “Also, in the sprint, I am not going slow. I’🍬m pushing 100% because I want to beat my teammate.”
But Marini, Honda’s replacement for Marc Marquez, was unabl𓂃e to do that.
He detailed his issues: “Maybe tougher🐷 than expected.
“We tried a different set𝕴ting for the sprint. We needed to𒁏 test it, to try 12 laps in a row with the same tyres.
“We found something on the exit of corners. Bu🌄t we lost a lot on entry and turning.
“For sure, it was not the perfect combination. We need to analyse the data to make it better for to♛morrow.”
Marini said about qualifying: “We are not strong for a time attack bꩵecause of a lack of grip in the rear.”
Yeꦜt, despite a torrid Saturday, Marini insists the data-gathering expedition was beneficial.
“But, the sprint was positive,” he said.
“We need to use every lap on track for information for the engineers to deve♒lop the bike🤪.
“Because ]we are in a] rush. Everyone wants to be more compet💯itive, fighting for better positions.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade coveringꦦ everything from Ame𒅌rican sports, to football, to F1.
