Marco Bezzecchi
Honda test rider Aleix Espargaro has made a flying visit to Mandalika before the 2025 MotoGP Indonesian Grand Prix on his way to Sepang for a private test on the RC213V.
The Japanese brand have rented out the home of the Malaysian Grand Prix for next Monday and Tuesday to have a private test before MotoGP’s annual round at Sepang on October 24-26. Honda will be the only testing team at Sepang, with Espargaro aboard their current bike.
Honda are utilising MotoGP’s concessions rules to test with the RC213V in search of further progress in the 2025 MotoGP season and for 2026. The Tokyo squad have improved on last term’s P11 in the teams’ championship with 35 points to sit eighth in 2025 with 169 points.
Joan Mir secured his first podium as a Honda rider at the 51st try with his P3 in the Japanese Grand Prix last time out, too, as well as his P4 in the Motegi Sprint. Luca Marini is yet to earn a podium as a Honda rider after 33 races, but he boasts 97 points to Mir’s 72 so far this year.
Honda rider Luca Marini’s hard work behind the scenes has ‘surprised’ Aleix Espargaro
Marini is the second-highest scoring Honda rider in 2025 behind Johann Zarco of LCR, who boasts 124 points prior to the Indonesian GP event. But what has “surprised” Espargaro the most about Marini is how hard-working the 28-year-old is behind the scenes to help Honda.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Luca Marini from his net worth to half-brother
Espargaro joined the Honda fold as a test rider this year after he left the factory Aprilia team and a full-time MotoGP race bike. The Spaniard’s role has allowed him to see where Mir and Marini can make an impact, with the latter’s work off the track standing out more than on it.
Espargaro told Sky Italia: “Both riders are going really strong [and] they’re highly motivated. Joan is very aggressive under braking, [while] Luca makes the bike go faster in the corners, but their settings aren’t very different.
“We’ve been working hard since the start of the season, and some material is arriving. I’ve been surprised by how hard Luca is working. Honda are making a huge effort.”
Luca Marini’s hard work is paying off after his best results as a Honda MotoGP rider so far
Marini was largely a steady Eddie during the first seven rounds of the 2025 MotoGP season and his second year in the factory Honda team. The Italian scored points in each Grand Prix to begin the season, but he only finished higher than P10 once with P8 in the Americas GP.
Yet after Marini sustained severe injuries testing for the 8 Hours of Suzuka and missed three MotoGP rounds, the Honda rider has only finished worse than P10 twice and failed to finish one of the seven Grands Prix since returning. Marini also came P6 on his return in Germany.
The attritional nature of the 2025 German Grand Prix helped Marini get his then-best finish as a Honda rider. Yet Marini then delivered an impressive ride at Balaton Park as the Urbino native took P5 in the Hungarian Grand Prix, before taking P8 in Catalunya and P7 at Misano.
A clutch problem ruined Marini’s Japanese Grand Prix and forced him to retire from Honda’s home race after just three laps. But recent results prove the work that Marini, who is yet to win a MotoGP race after 89 starts, is putting in is paying off as well as impressing Espargaro.
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