Action resumes for the Repsol Honda Team in Italy
A brief pause in the 2023 season comes to an end as the MotoGP World Championship chases top speed around the 5.25km of the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello.
Three races in three weeks start with the Italian GP in Mugello, the Tuscan circuit a favourite among fans and riders alike. Round six of the 20 round World Championship will see the Repsol Honda Team pairing of Marc Marquez and Joan Mir continue to work on the evolution of the Honda RC213V.
Marc Marquez has been able to deliver consistent flashes of brilliance during his truncated start to the year with a pole and a podium in Portimao and a front row and fierce ride to challenge for the top three in Le Mans. The #93 has been the protagonist to many of the most memorable battles at the Italian GP and has taken three podiums in the premier class in Mugello, including a win in 2014.
For Joan Mir, the weekend will be another chance to improve his feeling on the Honda as he works to unlock the full potential of himself and the bike. The 25-year-old achieved his first premier class podium at the Italian GP in 2021 when he was third. Growth and improved consistency remain the primary focus for the #36 as he prepares to get back on his Repsol Honda Team machine again.
After Mugello, the teams and riders will head straight for the German GP and then the Dutch TT ahead of the traditional mid-season Summer Break.
Marc Marquez
“Time to get back to work. We start in Mugello which is always a very demanding weekend, the track is very fast and flowing. I’ve had some great battles there in the past and pushing the top speed of a MotoGP bike down the straight is always enjoyable. We of course need to see what [is] possible this weekend and see what we can do together with the team to get the maximum from the bike and keep trying to make steps forward.”
Joan Mir
“It seems a long time since we were last on the MotoGP bike, but I have been able to do some good riding and training during this time away. We have one more push before the mid-season break, so of course I want to achieve my maximum during this triple. A lot of time on the bike is something I am looking forward to as I think we can keep making progress forward and unlock what we have been missing. Mugello is the first of the three races in a row, I was on the podium there in 2021 and it’s a spectacular circuit to ride. Maximum effort, maximum focus and maximum determination.”
