Joan Mir earned his automatic ticket to Q2 and confirmed Honda's level in Indonesia, despite a very competitive Practice.
The last weekend, Joan mir finally managed to get everything in line, without making any mistakes, without being hit by another rider, and without the Honda encountering any difficulties. Qualifying on the front row, he secured a podium on Sunday and arrived in Indonesia with a clear objective: to repeat its performance.
But the stakes were high, as the Mandalika circuit isn't one of his favorites and is very different from Motegi. The Spaniard sees it as a test to see if the RC213V is now capable of being competitive everywhere. Based on his results and those of his teammate this Friday, the answer is positive for now.
Mir finished ninth in FP1 this morning before securing his place in Q2 thanks to his sixth fastest time in Practice. However, he admits that this time was not easy to achieve, and that he could very well have found himself outside the top 10. He and Marini still point to the Honda's difficulties with time attack and its significant vibrations, but both will participate in Q2 tomorrow.
"We haven't found a solution [to the vibrations] yet, but I'm still managing to ride well and I have good sensations, both at the front and the rear. This is fundamental to be able to be consistent on all circuits. The vibrations are limiting, but here it was less strong than elsewhere.", did he declare.
"This Q2 is important. It wasn't a given and it was easy to find yourself outside because the track conditions are complicated, the asphalt doesn't give you great sensations. I think I had a good session, without looking for slipstreams. There was a bit of wind so by taking it it was possible to be really fast but I preferred to ride alone. I think our race pace is better than the time attack, but I also think I still have a bit of margin."
Indonesian Grand Prix Practice Results :
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
