Honda’s new engine configuration brought “unexpected problems” on Saturday in Austꦡria, Joan Mir admitted.

Repsol Honda’s Luca Marini and Mir qualified 18th and 19th at the ☂Red Bull Ring 🌳respectively.

Marini then finished the s💦print race in 17th and Mir finished in the same position that he started.

“Honestly we are having unexpected problems with this engine,” 🤪Mir said afterwards.

“We are trying to put everything together to give🅺 the maximum.

“In qualifying I was not able to feel good to make a lap time. But in the sprint, I was a🔯ble to be quite fast and the end of the ra🥃ce.

“I had a long lap so that was a problem.

“But, at the end, the lap times were not bad so I꧅’m 🍬happy about it.”

The Repsol Hᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚonda duo and LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami are trialling a revised engine at this weekend’s MotoGP round, while Johann Zarco continues with a more powerful version which is harder to ride.

Honda riders warned in advance that the new engine would not bring overnight 🍰results to dig the struggl🦋ing manufacturer out of their low ebb.

“I made a really good start to the race and was able to gain a lot, then I had some contact with Raul Fernandez and🧔 lost about four positions,” Mir later reflected.

“Then with the long la💎p penalty, I dropped far back, and we did what we could.

“It’sꦗ a shame because our pace was much b🌳etter than what we were able to show in the race.

“[Sunday] will be another 🌠tough race for everyone on the grid with these conditions.”

Marini added: “We were hoping for more in the🔜 Sprint speaking honestly.

“I didn’t make a good sꩵtart and then in this heat it’s quite complicated with🌜 the carbon brakes.

“The positive point is that we learned some more things for Sunday and also f🔥or the development in♛ future.

“Once we were in the race we were able to set🍸 an OK pace given we were playing catch up, but we were far behind because of the opening lap.”