Marini Shows Promise in Silverstone Qualifying Amidst Ongoing Honda Challenges

Luca Marini sees improvements in Silverstone qualifying, yet…

Luca Marini explains current challenges with Honda, but remains hopeful

Following a challenging beginning with HRC, Luca Marini has started to show improvement in his recent races.

So far at Silverstone, he has consistently been the top Honda rider during the Sprint.

Marini led the race on his RC213V until lap eight, when Johann Zarco from the LCR team overtook him. Marini observed some distinctions between himself and Zarco, as well as between their bikes.

From a riding perspective, Marini expressed that while he can manage a single fast lap with an aggressive push, he currently finds it challenging to maintain consistent performance throughout an entire race.

Marini commented that Zarco seems to be handling things a bit more calmly and is better at managing the situation.

From a technical perspective, the Repsol Honda rider mentioned that his engine was noticeably slower on this track compared to Zarco’s. Additionally, they differed in their front tire selections: Marini opted for a medium-compound tire, whereas Zarco chose a soft one.

Marini mentioned that he opted for his engine specification voluntarily. "I chose to continue working on this engine because it is significantly better than the alternative," Marini stated.

Conversely, although Marini also selected this tyre, the Italian believed it wasn't the best option.

"I'm not very pleased with the front tire," he commented. "During the Sprint, I believed I could perform better, but after six laps, I began to notice excessive movement and instability at the front, particularly on the right side. This made it difficult to maintain a good pace until the end of the race. As a result, Zarco passed me."

"I inquired about his experience with the soft front tire, and he mentioned it performed well. This suggests that opting for the medium front tire might have been a mistake. The medium front tire is a compromise; it doesn't have many drawbacks, but it also doesn't excel in any area. You can't brake as forcefully as with the hard tire, and it lacks the edge grip of the soft tire."

"Each time, it's always the tire in between that doesn't excel at anything. However, Michelin is doing well overall, so I'm satisfied with their performance."

Problems with tires are affecting more than just Honda. Augusto Fernandez from GasGas Tech3 expressed a comparable view regarding the front tires.

"Typically, I'm not a fan of the medium front tire since it lacks the advantages offered by both the hard and soft tires," the Spanish rider stated.

"You lack traction on the edges and don't have the stability for intense braking."

Fernandez clarified that there was no justification during the Silverstone Sprint.

"Everyone opted for the medium difficulty, so it’s fine. The issue arises when everyone selects the hard difficulty and you can’t keep up. But today, everyone went with the medium, so there were no excuses or problems."

Marini also faced issues at the back, indicating that he believes his Honda RC213V lacks sufficient rear grip. This deficiency prevents him from switching from the softer, grippier rear tire to the more durable medium-compound rear tire for Sunday's longer race.

"I'm having some trouble with the rear, particularly the drop on the right side. I was hoping for better performance because I want to use the soft rear tire for tomorrow's race as well," said Marini.

"It's crucial to thoroughly analyze the data since the medium tire offers consistent performance, allowing for 100% effort from start to finish. However, our motorcycle doesn't perform as well with the medium rear tire. On the other hand, using the soft tire might give us a better chance to compete for higher positions."

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