Overview
- Joan Mir admitted fault and apologized after colliding with team-mate Luca Marini in the Valencia sprint, and stewards have issued him a long-lap penalty for Sunday’s race.
- Honda left the sprint with no points as the factory pair failed to score and LCR’s Johann Zarco finished 10th, just outside the points.
- To exit Group D concessions, Honda needs nine points from the weekend with only its top finisher counting, leaving it targeting at least seventh on Sunday from Mir, Marini or Zarco.
- Riders said unusually low grip at Ricardo Tormo exposed the RC213V’s mid-corner weakness in long turns, compounding braking and acceleration limitations.
- Only two Hondas reached Q2 with Mir qualifying 10th and Zarco 11th, and limited scoring options persist because wildcard entries cannot contribute points.