Sepang International Circuit
Mir set for Malaysian GP return alongside Marini
After retiring from the San Marino GP and missing the four subsequent Grands Prix, Joan Mir is targeting a return to action in Sepang alongside Luce Marini.
The Honda HRC Castrol team will be aiming to be back at full strength for the Malaysian GP, Joan Mir given approval by his medical team to return to action and Luca Marini’s condition improving day-by-day. A circuit with fond memories and past successes, the Sepang International Circuit is the perfect launch pad for a strong final push in 2026.
Ruled unfit in Australia due to a virus, Luca Marini will need to undertake a medical check before his participation in the Malaysian round can be confirmed. Having focused exclusively on his recovery since Friday, the Italian has felt his strength return and is eager to reunite with his team. Sepang has seen the #10 score points consistently with Honda, achieving a best finish of eighth place in 2025 at the 5.5-kilometre-long track. With the cancellation of the Australian round, this weekend is set to be his 200th Grand Prix start.
A welcome return to his Honda RC213V is on the horizon for Joan Mir, the #36 having put in an impressive amount of work behind the scenes to overcome his medical issue. The 2020 MotoGP World Champion is focusing on getting back into the rhythm of a MotoGP weekend, having last ridden the 1,000cc machine on September 13. With thousands of testing miles collected across the years, the Sepang International Circuit is a familiar place for Mir to return as he targets a final flourish of success in his last four races as a Honda HRC rider.
After the wild weather of Phillip Island, the entire MotoGP World Championship will no doubt have their eyes tuned to the sky throughout the weekend looking for the typical Malaysian rainstorms.
Luca Marini 10 Honda HRC Castrol
“Unfortunately we couldn’t do more than a couple of laps in Phillip Island and since Friday I have been fully focused on recovering as much as possible. I am starting to feel better and have been able to return to the gym, but a MotoGP bike is always something different. Sepang is a physically demanding circuit with the conditions, certainly it will be a weekend where we change the approach a little bit to make sure we have enough energy for Sunday and a lot also depends on what the weather does. We have to do the medical test before the weekend, but I don’t think it will be a problem.”
Joan Mir 36 Honda HRC Castrol
“It hasn’t been an easy period, and I want to thank everyone close to me for helping to keep focused and working towards the end goal. I’ve been able to do some riding with different kinds of bikes in the past week, and the doctors have given me the green light to return. I am really looking forward to seeing the team again and seeing what we can do in these final races of the year. Sepang is a circuit which holds some good memories for me and for us as Honda and I think it’s the correct decision to return at such a familiar track. The most important point of the weekend is to get back on the bike, reconnect with the team and check my feeling.”