Double DNF for Honda HRC Castrol at Sepang

Joan Mir and Luca Marini crash out of the Malaysian GP Sprint despite showing podium pace, leaving Honda HRC Castrol to regroup for Sunday’s race.

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What began as one of Honda HRC Castrol’s most promising Saturdays of the season ended in disappointment, as both Joan Mir and Luca Marini failed to see the chequered flag in the Malaysian Grand Prix Sprint. Despite flashes of top-five speed and early aggression, both riders crashed out in separate incidents, halting what could have been a major breakthrough for the Japanese manufacturer.

Mir’s podium chase cut short

After a strong qualifying performance saw him start seventh on the grid, Joan Mir looked determined to fight for the podium under the blazing Sepang sun. The Spaniard launched well off the line, going side-by-side with Fabio Quartararo into Turn 1 before settling into a rhythm that quickly brought him within striking distance of the leaders.

Midway through the Sprint, Mir was lapping half a second quicker than Pedro Acosta, slicing through the gap and eyeing the top three. But as he closed in, a slight error under acceleration saw the front end fold away, ending his race prematurely.

“Not how we wanted to end today, that’s for sure,” said Mir. “Our pace was really good even after a disappointing Qualifying… I was riding with a lot of confidence and maybe pushed a bit too much. It was my mistake – one of those crashes where you open the throttle a bit earlier than normal. But our speed is there, and that’s a positive sign.”

Despite the fall, Mir’s pace throughout the weekend has been one of Honda’s most competitive displays in recent rounds, giving the team valuable setup data for Sunday’s full-distance race.

Marini’s first crash of the season

Starting 13th on the grid, Luca Marini once again showcased his trademark aggression and racecraft. The Italian climbed into the top eight within a handful of laps, engaging in a heated exchange with Pol Espargaro, echoing their intense duel from Phillip Island.

However, in a bid to seize another position, Marini’s ambitious move into a tightening corner resulted in contact with Espargaro. Both riders ran wide, with Marini sliding out, marking his first crash of the 2025 MotoGP season.

“I saw Pol going wide, so I went for the gap but entered a bit too slowly — he didn’t see me and came back in,” Marini explained. “It was my mistake, and we touched. It’s a pity because our pace was really good and we had potential to fight inside the top ten. The bike is improving a lot, we just need to make another step in qualifying.”

Lessons learned ahead of Sunday

Despite the bitter result, the Honda RC213V once again showed signs of genuine progress. Both riders demonstrated top-tier pace and confidence, continuing Honda’s steady resurgence after a difficult start to the season.

The team now shifts focus to Sunday’s 20-lap Malaysian Grand Prix, set for 15:00 local time, with hopes of converting Saturday’s lost opportunity into points redemption.

As Team Manager Alberto Puig noted earlier in the weekend, “The potential is there, what matters now is turning it into results.”

And with the speed shown by Mir and Marini before their falls, Honda HRC Castrol’s fightback story at Sepang is far from over.