For the first time in 2023, both factory Honda riders qualified inside the top six, with Mir fifth and Marc Marquez sixth.
Marquez carried this form into Saturday’s sprint, scoring his second podium of the season in third, while in Sunday’s grand prix Mir ended his points drought with a ride to fifth as his team-mate recovered to ninth from an early crash.
The stiffer rear tyre casing brought to the Buddh track by Michelin in theory should have hindered Honda, as it has done when used previously this season.
But from the off both Mir and Marquez were competitive, maintaining this through every session despite the latter insisting Honda’s initial Friday pace was purely down to top riders adapting quicker to new tracks.
Marquez believes Honda’s form at Buddh was strong because the layout is similar in nature to the Circuit of the Americas, where he has dominated at in the past and where Alex Rins secured HRC’s only win of the season in 2023.
“Because it’s a very similar race track compared to Austin,” Marquez said when asked to explain Honda’s India form.
“There are a lot of stop-and-go corners. The accelerations you need to do a big pick up, and it’s not necessary to use the lean angle.
“This is our weak point, corners like at the Catalunya circuit, it’s there where we struggle more and we suffer a lot during the weekend.
“But in this track that is stop-and-go, and [you need to] pick-up [the bike early] and first gear corners, normally our bike works good – very similar to the best bikes.”
Source: Autosport