Honda riders were trapped in a disappointing performance during the opening day practice of the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika, with all three team members falling well outside their expected midfield positions.
Marini Is 3 Tenths Off the 2025 Pace
Luca Marini, who had anchored Honda’s 2024 practice in fourth place last year, cycled into 14th on the timesheet, clocking 1:30.037 – exactly 1.3 seconds slower than his rider‑team’s typical morning lap of 1:29.730 in 2025. The Japanese engine manufacturer, normally the front runner, lost front and rear grip throughout the run, earning Marini a sharp, unequivocal apology to fans and teammates. “I cannot explain the drop from last year; my weapon feels less stable,” the Italian expressed, ending with a plea for a simple overnight tweak to recover his footing.
Moreira’s Soft‑Tyre Hurdle
Diogo Moreira split the session into two calamities: a crash at Turn 1 early in the day and a second turnover at the back of the grid during the later run. Despite the hard‑hat approach, he bound to the early stops and argued that the soft‑tyre allocation was pushing the chassis beyond its limits. “There is no front feedback; I never know if I’m going to finish the lap,” Moreira said before racking up an 18th‑place time, leaving him outside the top‑eighteen, a position uncharacteristic of his single‑lap speed earlier in the season.
Zarco Spotlights a Poor Baseline
Johann Zarco recounted that Honda launched into the day with a baseline setup that “was too far from what we needed.” Contributing to a shuffling of the 18th‑place finish, the LCR teammate noted that while some incremental improvements appeared in the afternoon, the struggle started with a baseline that required a step overnight to match his teammates’ peer performers. He added that the fast‑enough run he needed to reach Q2 was lost because his “big sectors 1 and 2 were still too slow.”
The Track and the Shifting Competition
Notably, the event’s new circuit setting was reinforced by a record lap from Raul Fernandez of Trackhouse who broke the time‑record threshold. His smooth run came early and set a daunting benchmark that points away from a predictive formula for Honda’s shortcomings: the lack of grip rather than the track’s layout. Observers extrapolated that Honda’s intake of traction at both the front and rear must be reassessed, as multiple riders across the grid seemed to wrestle for pace.
Bottom line, Honda’s current form on Mandalika’s asphalt has dipped below its 2025 standard. Whether the difference is purely from the new configuration or a systemic mistake within the team’s setup will become clearer in the next practice block at the beachside venue. The race weekend’s pace is strikingly precise—if Honda pulls a step fast enough, they could remain a viable contender in the opening sprint of the championship series.
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