Luca Marini’s Mixed Fortunes at Silverstone: Qualifying Gains Amidst Honda’s Challenges

Luca Marini sees improvement in Silverstone qualifying, yet…

Luca Marini discusses recent problems with Honda, yet remains optimistic about future solutions

Following a challenging initiation into the HRC team, Luca Marini is starting to show improvement in his recent performances.

In the Sprint event at Silverstone, he has consistently been at the forefront as the top rider representing Honda.

Marini held the top position for the RC213V until the eighth lap, at which point Johann Zarco from the LCR team overtook him. Marini observed several distinctions between his and Zarco's performance, noting variations in both the riders' styles and their motorcycles.

Regarding his performance on the track, Marini expressed, "From my perspective, it appears that while I'm capable of delivering a strong lap if I push hard and go for speed — alright, I can manage a fast lap. However, maintaining that pace consistently throughout the entire race is proving to be somewhat challenging for me right now."

Marini mentioned that Zarco appears to be more composed and has a better handle on things.

From a technical perspective, the Repsol Honda competitor noted, "my engine doesn't perform as well on this circuit compared to Zarco's," highlighting a notable disparity. In addition, there was a divergence in their choice of front tyre: Marini opted for the medium-compound, whereas Zarco selected the soft variant.

Marini stated that selecting his engine specification was a decision he made willingly, emphasizing, "I opted for this as it significantly outperforms the alternatives."

On the contrary, Marini, the Italian, believed that the tire he selected was not the best choice.

"I'm quite dissatisfied with the front tire," he expressed. "During the Sprint, I was optimistic about improving my performance, however, after six laps, I began experiencing excessive wobbling and instability at the front, particularly on the right side, which prevented me from pushing hard through to the race's conclusion. Indeed, Zarco managed to pass me."

I inquired about the performance of the soft front tyre, and it appears to be performing well. This leads me to believe that opting for it might have been a mistake since the medium front tyre tends to be a compromise, lacking significant drawbacks but also not excelling in any area: it doesn't support as aggressive braking as the hard tyre, nor does it offer the superior edge grip found with the soft variant.

"Thus, each time, it's the central tire that never truly excels at anything. However, Michelin is performing well, so I am pleased with that."

Front tyre problems – a common complaint beyond Honda

Augusto Fernandez of GasGas Tech3 shared a comparable view regarding the front tyres.

"Typically, I'm not a fan of [the medium front tyre] as it doesn't offer the benefits of either the hard or the soft tyre," the Spaniard remarked.

"You lack the grip on the edge, and you're also missing the necessary support for intense braking."

Fernandez clarified that for the Silverstone Sprint, it wasn't a justification.

"Everyone selected the medium level, making it acceptable. The issue arises when everyone opts for the difficult level and you're unable to. However, today, everyone picked the medium level, eliminating any excuses and avoiding any issues."

Marini encountered issues at the back, hinting that his Honda RC213V lacks sufficient rear traction to opt for the more enduring medium-compound rear tire over the softer, more adhesive variant for the extended race on Sunday.

"Regarding the back, I find myself battling somewhat excessively with the decline on the right side — I anticipated a slightly better outcome since I was hoping to also compete tomorrow using the soft rear," Marini remarked.

"It's essential that we closely examine the data since the medium consistently performs solidly, allowing for full throttle from the start to finish. However, our motorcycle doesn't perform as well with the medium rear. Using the soft, though, could enable us to compete for higher placements, potentially."

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