The difficult start to the season was a reality check for Luca Marini, which he understood – Honda sends the Italian to Jerez for a private test
Luca Marini was unable to perform brilliantly on his Honda debut. The Italian finished last in the sprint and Marini also trailed the field in the Qatar Grand Prix. 42 seconds was a clear gap. His brand colleagues Johann Zarco and Joan Mir finished twelfth and 13th in the points.
After the race, Marini reported “a small technical problem” that made things more difficult for him. Nevertheless, he said: “Even without the problem, I wouldn’t have been able to fight for the same positions as my team-mate.”
This “small problem” is said to have been related to the electronic mappings. It was a consequence of the hectic moments after Raul Fernandez aborted the first start attempt.
Nevertheless, the performance over the course of the first race weekend was a reality check for Marini. This had already become apparent during the last winter test at the Lusail International Circuit.
Even there, Marini’s optimism had turned to initial concerns as the start of the season approached. Honda has initiated a radical change, but there is still a lot of work to be done before the RC213V becomes competitive.
“At the Qatar test, Luca realized how complicated the situation is,” a source from the Honda garage, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Spanish edition of Motorsport.com.
“Some riders take longer to understand that the dynamics at Honda are not as easy to change as you might think from the outside. And as he is very clever, he understood that in a few months. “
“HRC was very honest when they signed him. We asked him if he was sure, because it wasn’t going to be easy for him. He told us that he was really looking forward to it.”
“He is also clear that we are doing everything in our power to get out of this situation as soon as possible.” Honda has significantly increased its efforts and endeavors compared to last season.
The effort could also be seen in the Lusail paddock. The crews of Marini and Mir were also supported by the test team. The engineers came directly from Jerez, where Stefan Bradl had been testing privately in the days leading up to the season opener
Zarco tests Marchesini rim, but factory team at OZ
Developments from this test should be available to the racing teams for the second race weekend in Portugal. But there was already an interesting detail to see during the Qatar weekend.
In the extended Saturday practice session prior to qualifying, Zarco was equipped with a new rear wheel rim from Marchesini. However, the Frenchman complained about vibrations and did not use this rim for the rest of the weekend.
This rim, which other teams are already using, has a different coating to better manage the heat. Rim specialist Marchesini has been part of Brembo since the early 2000s. Unlike LCR, the Honda works team has a contract with OZ.
OZ is working on a similar version of the rim, but is said to have not yet found a solution. Marini and Mir have not yet been allowed to ride the Marchesini rim on an official race weekend for contractual reasons.
Marini was sent to Jerez this week in the wake of the difficult start to the season. According to information from the Spanish edition of Motorsport.com, the test team was in Andalusia with Bradl on Wednesday. Marini was also given track time.
According to the new concession rules, Honda and Yamaha are allowed to test on all tracks with the regular riders. The only restriction concerns the tires. There are 260 Michelin test tires available for the entire season
