MOREIRA SLIPS IN THE ARAGÓN SPRINT FINALE AFTER LATE TYRE DROP

Honda rookie Diogo Moreira’s Aragón weekend delivered a tough Sprint and a clearer picture of what he can realistically target on Sunday. The Brazilian had to fight his way through Q1 after a crash, but his lap was still good enough to progress to Q2, where he secured 10th on the grid.

In the Sprint itself, Moreira started aggressively and quickly moved to the front, even taking on riders such as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) and Raul Fernandez (Aprilia). For a time he was running sixth, but the final laps brought a sharp change. Fermin Aldeguer (Ducati) caught and passed him in the last lap, and Moreira finished seventh after a late fade.

Moreira pointed to tyre wear as the main reason for the drop-off. “In the last three rounds the rear tyre was finished,” he said, adding that the team and rider “think we have survived this day.” He also explained that the Honda’s tyre options were not a simple strategic lever for him: “All the Honda riders used the soft rear tyre, and it wasn’t a strategic decision. In our situation we can’t do the Sprint with the medium tyre. Also for the race we can’t work with it.”

The rookie also described how his own early pace contributed to the problem. “The crash came from the braking phase,” he said, then clarified the performance side: “In the last four laps my lap times dropped. I could only ride 1:48s, and that meant we lost touch with the top 5 and then Aldeguer passed me.” He linked the deterioration to pushing too hard early: “It was also good for us because at the beginning we built that gap. Only Fermin went past me in the last lap.”

Looking ahead to Sunday, Moreira tempered expectations and set a specific goal. “Honestly we have to fight for the top 10, that’s the target,” he said, noting that many riders are expected to be near the front on the medium tyre, including Raul and Pecco. He also said the physical issues that affected him earlier in the season are no longer a factor: “The arm problems from the start of the season are gone. Now we are more relaxed on the bike, so it’s easier to ride the race.”

Asked about whether he could drift the MotoGP machine the way he does in supermoto training, Moreira replied that it’s difficult due to the bike’s electronics: “Here it’s difficult because we have many control systems on the bike. It’s always a compromise. I know I could push more at the beginning—but if I push more, at the end we don’t have grip.” Despite the Sprint setback, he summed up the week positively: “I enjoyed every session this weekend.”