Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira completed a challenging but valuable Austrian Grand Prix weekend by finishing 15th in Sunday’s main race and securing one championship point for himself and the team.
The Brazilian began his first MotoGP weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg with a promising performance on Friday. Moreira finished 13th overall after completing his first MotoGP laps at the circuit, gradually gaining confidence and becoming more comfortable with the bike.
He made a strong start in FP1, finishing ninth and showing competitive pace. During the afternoon Practice session, Moreira moved into a provisional Q2 position in the early stages. However, several small mistakes across different sectors affected his final attempt, leaving him just one-tenth of a second short of progressing to Q2.
“I’m a bit disappointed because we didn’t make a perfect lap. I made mistakes in different sectors, and that’s why I’m disappointed, because if I had avoided these small mistakes, I could have made it through to Q2,” Moreira said.
Despite missing out on Q2, the Brazilian carried a positive mindset into Saturday’s Sprint. Starting from 16th, Moreira attempted to make progress but was handed a double Long Lap penalty after making a jump start.
The rider explained that he felt the wait for the starting lights had been unusually long, leading to the mistake. After serving his penalties, he eventually finished 16th.
Although the result was disappointing, Moreira found some encouragement from the bike’s improved performance after the team made adjustments.
“When I was waiting for the lights, somehow I felt like it was taking too long, and I made a big mistake. I apologised to the team,” he said.
“We have another chance tomorrow to make up for it. In the end, we changed some things on the bike, and I felt better and had a good pace.”
Moreira returned to the track on Sunday determined to recover from the Sprint setback. However, the Brazilian struggled to reproduce the same feeling he had experienced during the morning session, particularly with the front end of the bike.
Despite the difficulties, he continued fighting throughout the race, overtaking rivals and pushing until the final lap. His efforts earned him 15th place and one championship point, giving Pro Honda LCR a positive result after a demanding weekend.
“The good feeling I had this morning wasn’t there during the race, even though we didn’t change anything. We are now trying to understand why I felt this way,” Moreira explained.
“In any case, I tried to overtake my rivals, push as hard as I could, and at least finish in the points. We learn from every situation, and we’ll try to come back stronger and do better in the next race.”
Moreira leaves Austria with valuable MotoGP experience, having completed his first race weekend at the Red Bull Ring and secured another championship point. While the weekend included qualifying frustrations, a Sprint penalty and Sunday’s front-end struggles, the Brazilian showed determination and continued to build his understanding of the bike as he looks ahead to the next round.
