Honda riders battle the heat at Brno
Automotodrom BrnoEver-rising temperatures made for a complicated Saturday at the Grand Prix of Czechia, where Joan Mir settled for tenth in the Sprint
Rising temperatures dominated conversations and thoughts throughout Saturday in Brno as teams and riders worked to adapt as the circuit temperature increased by 10°C across the course of the day to push 50°C.
Earning 12th on the grid after passing directly to Q2, Joan Mir had been hoping for a top nine grid slot after showing well in all previous practice sessions, but a combination of dirty air and slightly hotter conditions would limit his performance. Able to maintain his position at the start, the opening laps of the Sprint would see the typical hustle and bustle of the mid-pack in MotoGP. Hot temperatures and vibrations meant Mir opted for a safer approach after a few laps, bringing his Honda RC213V home just two tenths shy of the points.
Castrol Honda LCR replacement rider Cal Crutchlow started from 21st on the grid and was determined to push throughout the Sprint and deliver the best possible result. Although the Brit was able to maintain a consistent pace in the challenging conditions, he ultimately crashed out of contention with two corners remaining.
Setting a time of 1’52.263 in Q1, Marini was able to improve his best time from Friday by two tenths and go almost a full second faster than Q1 in 2025. This would see him line up in 16th, moved to 15th on the grid after the withdrawl of Alex Marquez from the weekend. As has become customary, Marini started the 10-lap Sprint well and quickly closed in on his teammate. Working hard to close the final tenths to Mir, the Italian suffered his second DNF of the year with just a handful of laps to go. Marini was unharmed in the fall.
It was disappointing race for Pro Honda LCR's Diogo Moreira, who lined up sixth on the grid and had a great start immediately moving into third place on track. Unfortunately his race was brought to an early conclusion with a Turn 12 crash on the opening lap.
I was expecting more today, especially in Qualifying because on Friday I felt like still I had a few tenths of margin in me. Today I thought following someone would help us gain some more time, but we actually had more difficulties, and I lost a bit in the areas where I am stronger because of the dirty air. It was a hard battle in the first laps, and we lost a little bit of contact with the group ahead. With the temperatures today, when you are following a rider, it makes everything very critical and that’s why we couldn’t make more progress. Good to finish and get some information for Sunday.
I was expecting more today, especially in Qualifying because on Friday I felt like still I had a few tenths of margin in me. Today I thought following someone would help us gain some more time, but we actually had more difficulties, and I lost a bit in the areas where I am stronger because of the dirty air. It was a hard battle in the first laps, and we lost a little bit of contact with the group ahead. With the temperatures today, when you are following a rider, it makes everything very critical and that’s why we couldn’t make more progress. Good to finish and get some information for Sunday.
I’m fine. I crashed at the penultimate corner, which was a pity. The bike is working well, we just didn’t have the day we wanted. In the race I was doing a decent job, but as I’m still not completely comfortable ergonomically, I made a small mistake and ended up in the gravel. These things happen. Overall, we’re doing a good job, so let’s see what tomorrow brings.
I’m fine. I crashed at the penultimate corner, which was a pity. The bike is working well, we just didn’t have the day we wanted. In the race I was doing a decent job, but as I’m still not completely comfortable ergonomically, I made a small mistake and ended up in the gravel. These things happen. Overall, we’re doing a good job, so let’s see what tomorrow brings.
A shame about the crash today, I was pushing really hard to catch Mir just ahead and I lost the front. With the hotter temperature the vibrations were more and the front gave up. I think it was similar to everyone because I think it’s hotter than many people were expecting. Overall, the pace compared to last year is a lot faster, we have made a big step but everyone else has improved almost one second a lap so maybe our improvements aren’t as clear. Today we again couldn’t get the same out of the soft tyre as the others in Q1, it’s always a very complicated session as you get a big mix of riders in there. Still the target is to be faster on Friday to avoid this and prepare ourselves to start inside the top 12.
A shame about the crash today, I was pushing really hard to catch Mir just ahead and I lost the front. With the hotter temperature the vibrations were more and the front gave up. I think it was similar to everyone because I think it’s hotter than many people were expecting. Overall, the pace compared to last year is a lot faster, we have made a big step but everyone else has improved almost one second a lap so maybe our improvements aren’t as clear. Today we again couldn’t get the same out of the soft tyre as the others in Q1, it’s always a very complicated session as you get a big mix of riders in there. Still the target is to be faster on Friday to avoid this and prepare ourselves to start inside the top 12.
Today was a good day despite the result. We had a strong qualifying session and I learned a lot from my rivals. We chose the soft tyre, which I think was the right decision, and got a good start. I pushed to stay with the group, but in the end I carried a bit too much speed into that corner and lost the front. We’re rookies, and these things happen. We’ll try again tomorrow!
Today was a good day despite the result. We had a strong qualifying session and I learned a lot from my rivals. We chose the soft tyre, which I think was the right decision, and got a good start. I pushed to stay with the group, but in the end I carried a bit too much speed into that corner and lost the front. We’re rookies, and these things happen. We’ll try again tomorrow!
