Luca Marini is Lone HRC Rider for AustralianGP 2026
Honda’s Lone Rider at Phillip Island Aims to Close on the Top Ten as Joan Mir Is Ruled Out and Aleix Espargaro Heads for Surgery; No Replacements Named
Luca Marini will be Honda HRC Castrol’s only rider at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix this weekend. Joan Mir is not yet ready to return, and Aleix Espargaro will not travel to Australia because he needs surgery. Honda will not replace either of them.
It is also the last Grand Prix at Phillip Island before the race moves to Adelaide from 2027.
Fans and riders alike love the 4.45-kilometre circuit, and this weekend is set to be an extra special one as everyone goes out for a last chance of glory there.
The track holds fond memories for Honda. Wayne Gardner took the first win there in 1989, and Honda has since collected a total of 15 premier-class victories at the circuit.
Marini comes to Australia after a more complicated weekend than expected in Indonesia. He wants to return to form and challenge the top riders again.
Phillip Island has been kind to him. In 2025, he scored a pair of top-ten finishes there, equalling his best premier-class finish in Australia. He is 12th in the World Championship standings, only 17 points short of the top ten, so the weekend is a good chance to close the gap to Fermin Aldeguer and Enea Bastianini.
Joan Mir and his medical team are working hard to get the #36 back to the circuit. They have decided that the Australian Grand Prix is too early and will keep assessing his condition. Honda will not name a stand-in for Mir.
Aleix Espargaro, the Honda HRC Development Rider, will not make the trip. He was called in at Mandalika, where he rode in Friday’s practice sessions and finished 20th in the Saturday Sprint, before voluntarily withdrawing from the Indonesian Grand Prix.
Honda says he has since experienced Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome during a private test at the Sepang International Circuit. He will have surgery in Barcelona in the coming days and will not be replaced in Australia.
Marini said he returned to work after a short break and is ready for three races in a row. “Phillip Island is a circuit that every rider loves. Coming down the straight with just the sea in front of you is something very unique, and of course the layout is like nothing else on the calendar,” he said.
He set a simple target for the weekend. “The objective is to enjoy this weekend and capture as many points as possible. I know the team have been working even during this week between races to try and improve our performance. Five races left, five chances to show all that we have achieved together these past years.”
Credti Photo : HRC
