**Honda’s Emilia Romagna GP Breakthrough: Riders Optimistic Post-Upgrades as MotoGP Heads to Asia**

Honda MotoGP racers are experiencing improvement at the Emilia Romagna GP: "The first time I could genuinely push."

Honda achieved a triple-point finish at the Emilia-Romagna MotoGP, boosting the riders' confidence as the MotoGP circuit moves to Asia.

Finishing in 11th and 12th place for the Repsol Honda Team won't be remembered as a standout achievement in the team's history. However, the factory HRC team found reasons to remain hopeful even though they fell short of making it into the top 10 once more.

The source of the optimism is the improvements introduced for the second race at Misano — the Emilia-Romagna event, which occurs two weeks after the San Marino Grand Prix — after conducting tests at the track a few weeks prior.

Repsol Honda’s Joan Mir expressed his pleasure after the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix last Sunday, stating, "It was an excellent race. For the first time, I felt I could truly push, ride, and enjoy being on the bike."

Mir managed to secure 11th place in the race, even though he dropped to the last position at the beginning.

He mentioned that he began well, but Raul Fernandez was very aggressive in the first few corners, causing him to go wide and fall to the back of the pack.

"I put my focus down and began to pass other racers, particularly excelling in the latter part of the race. I was very happy with how I performed, not only in overtaking but also in maintaining lap times that matched those of the top ten competitors."

“Considering our starting point, finishing 11th is a positive outcome, and it’s great to observe progress throughout the weekend. I must also express my gratitude to my team for their efforts. This being my first weekend in Misano, they did an excellent job enhancing the bike's performance overnight. This is motivating and energizes us as we prepare for the upcoming races in Asia.”

Luca Marini, who rides alongside Joan Mir for Repsol Honda, had a successful weekend at Misano. The Italian rider benefited from Honda's recent updates to the RC213V, achieving his best result of the season by finishing in 12th place.

Marini expressed his contentment with the weekend, stating that he thoroughly enjoyed it and found many positives. He noted that the upgrades from the Japanese team have resulted in a strong package, and he praised the engineers for their hard work, which is now reflected in the outcomes.

"The initial three laps with the rear are still quite challenging. We need to address this issue because, even when starting in 15th place, we're lacking something in those early laps, which prevents us from competing effectively with the others."

"The updated aerodynamics have made a significant difference, and we've also made progress in various other minor aspects recently. We can look forward to Indonesia with confidence, aiming to maintain this momentum. A big thank you to the entire team for their dedication and hard work throughout the year."

Despite facing numerous challenges during his race, Johann Zarco of LCR Honda managed to secure one point by finishing in 15th place.

"I surpassed my expectations in the race," Zarco shared with MotoGP.com. "I felt really strong at the start, which was great, and I executed some excellent moves that I'm proud of."

“However, I was unable to catch up to Jack Miller as he was having difficulties, causing me to lose time. After that, Joan Mir regained his position, and I made an error while following him.”

"Therefore, I made two errors: failing to pass Jack and nearly colliding with Joan Mir. Consequently, I lost a significant amount of time and attempted to recover as best as I could."

"I'm pleased to have earned a point. It's crucial to end the weekend with at least something to show for our efforts."

"Honda has made some advancements, which is encouraging as we prepare for the international races. I am optimistic that with my experience and fondness for the tracks, I can aim to be near the top 10."

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