Honda HRC Castrol Heads to Mandalika for 2026 Indonesian MotoGP

Luca Marini targets another strong result in Indonesia as Aleix Espargaro returns to MotoGP action with Honda HRC Castrol.

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Honda HRC Castrol has arrived in Lombok for the 17th round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship, heading directly from Tokyo to Indonesia for this weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix at the Mandalika International Circuit.

The 4.3-kilometre circuit is known for its physically demanding layout, while hot and unpredictable weather conditions can add another challenge for riders and teams throughout the weekend.

Indonesia is also an important market for Honda, with millions of fans across the country. The Honda RC213V has traditionally shown strong pace at Mandalika, giving the factory team confidence heading into the weekend.

Luca Marini will be looking to build on his previous performances at the circuit. The Italian finished fifth at the 2025 Indonesian Grand Prix, matching his best result with Honda to date.

Marini has also shown promising pace at several Grands Prix this season, including Hungary and San Marino. The Honda rider will now target a strong start on Friday, with securing direct passage into Q2 identified as the team’s first major objective.

With weather expected to play an important role, Marini and the team will need to remain flexible throughout the weekend and make the most of any opportunities that emerge.

Joining Marini in the Honda HRC Castrol garage will be Honda HRC Development Rider Aleix Espargaro, who steps in as Joan Mir continues his recovery at home.

Espargaro is familiar with Mandalika but will have to quickly rebuild his rhythm on the RC213V after limited riding time this season following an injury earlier in the year.

Rather than setting immediate performance targets, Espargaro’s focus will be on reacquainting himself with the Honda RC213V and gathering useful information for the team’s ongoing development work.

“I’m looking forward to this weekend as Mandalika is a circuit I really enjoy and the last two years it has been a really strong track for us,” said Marini.

“It will be important to work in the correct way and avoid some of the mistakes we made last week in Motegi. The team and I have shown that we are always able to improve over the course of the weekend, so I am confident that if we are strong on Friday we can put something together.”

Marini also highlighted the support Honda receives in Indonesia, adding that it is a special destination for Honda riders.

Espargaro, meanwhile, said he was grateful for the opportunity to return to the factory Honda MotoGP team.

“Of course it is always a great honour to join the factory Honda team in MotoGP and I want to say thank you to them for trusting me to ride while Joan and Taka recover,” said Espargaro.

“After the crash at the start of the year and my injury, I have not had as much time on the bike as I would like. We travel to Mandalika with realistic expectations as I’ve had only a small number of laps and it’s a really physical track before we even speak about the weather.”

The Indonesian Grand Prix will provide another opportunity for Honda HRC Castrol to assess its progress with the RC213V, while Marini looks to challenge for another strong result and Espargaro continues supporting the team’s development programme.