– The past Misano weekend was one of the better ones for Honda in the ongoing MotoGP season 2026. This does not necessarily apply to the race results, but to the performance throughout the weekend and the feeling that the RC213V conveyed, especially to Luca Marini and Johann Zarco.
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Honda factory rider Marini and also LCR rider Zarco managed to directly qualify for Q2 on Saturday with P7 and P8 respectively in Friday’s practice. In that very Q2 segment of qualifying, Marini then equaled his best qualifying result since he has been on a Honda with P6. This has been the case since the start of the 2024 season.
In Misano 2025, Marini first achieved sixth on the grid as a Honda rider and thus made it into the second row. He also managed this in Mandalika 2025. Misano 2026 was now the third weekend he started from the second row with the RC213V.
After what he calls a “really positive Friday,” during which the motorcycle “worked really well from the start because this track offers incredible grip,” Marini went into qualifying with plenty of confidence. His statement after the time attack was also positive: “In qualifying, we achieved the best possible result. The outcome shows how much we have improved.”
In the sprint, Marini finished in P9. A decisive factor in him losing three positions compared to his starting position was “a battle with Pedro [Acosta], which cost me two positions. But I already knew that the guys ahead of me would be faster than me, as they had shown a stronger pace in practice and FP2.”
Johann Zarco frustrated by crash in fight for top 10
Zarco started from P11 and finished the sprint in P10, directly behind Marini. According to the Frenchman, he was “a bit frustrated because after a strong Friday, I couldn’t make a step forward in the morning [in qualifying]. Whether it was a step backward, I don’t really know either.”
The step backward came for Zarco on Sunday. In the starting grid for the Grand Prix, he had to accept a three-position penalty. He received this because he had held up Marco Bezzecchi in qualifying. Starting from 14th place, Zarco was temporarily in tenth place during the Grand Prix. Four laps from the end, he was twelfth and thus on course for four world championship points. But then he crashed.
“I’m fine. It was a slow crash after I missed my braking point a bit in turn 8 and went too wide,” Zarco reports. “There were only three laps left, and I really wanted to fight for the top 10.” However, in his opinion, the biggest mistake was not the crash.
“The biggest mistake was that I couldn’t overtake Fabio [Quartararo]. When Bastianini came from behind, I knew he wouldn’t stay behind him for long. I believe that at least in terms of pace, I could have kept up. Unfortunately, I couldn’t avoid the crash,” says Zarco.
Luca Marini not completely satisfied with two ninth places in the races
Marini, who started both the Grand Prix and the sprint from sixth on the grid, again finished in P9. However, the Honda factory rider is not completely satisfied with the haul at his home Grand Prix.
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“I would have been happier with seventh place. I gave everything and I’m sure ‘Diggia’ will hate me. I closed the door on him for 15 laps. That was the only way to keep him behind me,” says Marini.
“But then,” Marini continues, “eight laps from the end, I suddenly had strong vibrations in the rear tire. The tire was basically spinning on the rim. Because of the vibrations, I couldn’t lean fully anymore. I fought, but ‘Diggia’ was able to overtake me easily.”
“After that, there was nothing more to do. Overall, I’m still quite satisfied with the weekend because it was a strong one. I was faster than my brand colleagues in all sessions. I can’t do more than that,” says Marini.
Diogo Moreira puzzles over the right line in turn 11
The Misano weekend went less positively for Marini’s and Zarco’s teammates. In the LCR team, MotoGP rookie Diogo Moreira had big problems with the ultra-fast right-hand corner on the back straight, the notorious “Curvone.”
“This corner is completely different than on the Moto2 bike. I just can’t hold the line. I tried to follow Luca [Marini], but it doesn’t work. I lose 0.2 seconds to him in this third sector alone, and another 0.2 seconds to Bezzecchi,” puzzled the 2025 Moto2 world champion on Saturday. In qualifying, Moreira placed P15, in the sprint P11, and in the Grand Prix, he retired with a crash just like teammate Zarco.
The Misano weekend went even worse for Joan Mir. The Honda factory rider did not get beyond P17 in qualifying, finished only 20th in the sprint, and gave up after just four laps in the Grand Prix because he was physically far from being at his best.
Joan Mir puzzles over physical weakness at Misano weekend
After the sprint, Mir revealed: “I had hardly any energy today. I already went to the doctor to understand why I feel so weak. I don’t even want to talk about 100 percent; I don’t even feel at 50 percent. It’s not stomach pain, it’s headaches. I’m tired and notice that I’m not precise. That’s currently my bigger concern than the bike.”
After his early retirement in the Grand Prix because he was at the end of his strength, Mir adds: “Unfortunately, it was the same again. I had absolutely no energy while riding. I tried, but there was nothing to gain anyway. If I had stayed on the track, it would have only gotten worse.”
“Until the Austria weekend, I will now have a thorough check-up to find out what we can do so that I am back in normal condition as soon as possible,” Mir looks ahead to the 15th season round in the MotoGP calendar 2026, which takes place directly this weekend.
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