Luca Marini may have been the only Repsol Honda rider to reach the finish of Sunday’s French M🐻otoGP at Le Mans, in last place, but he was impressed by the pace of team-mate Joan Mir.

Mir qualified💧 18th and crashed out of last in Saturday’s Le Mans Sprint, but made a big improvement in pace during the grand prix.

While the other three Ho⛎ndas set the slowest race laps, Mir managed 14th best – effectively equal with Alex Marquez’s Gresini Ducati – before he crashed out of 15th place at the midway stage.

“The important thing to take away from today is the feeling that I had on the bike,” Mir said. “After yesterday and t♛he [grip] issue we had, it was great to be able to make another step with the setting and have a good pace in the race.

“I was able to confirm my feelings and I want to say tha𓃲nks to the Repsol Honda Team for their work today, they provided💖 me with a bike where I could attack.

“It’s important to remain focused on the pℱositive, which is the pace we showed and the work we ar꧑e doing. Now we go to Mugello [private test] to check a few things.”

Marini was quick to credit Mir’s Sund෴a✤y performance and admits he needs to replicate the former MotoGP champion’s improvements over a race weekend.

“It was another long race for us where we are working on those same areas that arဣe troubling us,” said Marini, referring to a lack of turning and a𒆙cceleration with the RC213V.

“What I don’t understand is that I start Friday with a pace and I keep the same pace until Sunday. While Joan can make a huge step over a race weekend and today was doing a great race♏ in my opinion.

“I am missing this step a little bit so we need to understand that. I am lookin𝔉g forward to Mugello for the [private] test. I am ꦦsure that we can find something there and bring it into Barcelona.”

Marini is yet to score points as a Honda rider, with Mir thꦿe top Honda rider, in 18th, with twelve points.

The Honda rid𝄹ers will have one day on track at Mugello before heading for the Catalunya round on May 24-26.