Honda HRC Castrol kicks off points tally with Thailand sprint finish

Joan Mir and Luca Marini had a strong Saturday at the Thai GP, with both riders staying competitive inside the top ten aboard their Honda RC213V machines. Mir earned his first point of the season with a solid ninth-place finish in the Sprint, while Marini set clear goals for Sunday’s race. The day marked the completion of the first racing laps of the 2025 MotoGP season, with Honda HRC Castrol making steady progress amid Buriram’s intense heat. Although improvements are needed, Saturday’s performance reinforced the strides made by Honda engineers during the off-season. Mir, who secured passage to Q2 on Friday, suffered a crash at Turn 3 during Qualifying, but emerged unscathed and qualified 11th, his best result since 2023. Despite the setback, he battled through the Sprint, overcoming an early challenge from Marco Bezzecchi to finish ninth and collect a point. Marini also made notable progress. He improved his Q1 time from the 2024 Thai GP by six-tenths, setting a 1’29.532. Starting 16th on the grid, Marini fought through the heat and finished 15th, satisfied with his performance given the conditions. With rising temperatures forecast for Sunday, all eyes are now on the 26-lap Thai Grand Prix, where both