2025 has begun! Moto3 hits the track for the first tests in Portimão

2025 kicks off with two full-immersion days, with the track entirely dedicated to Moto3—8 hours a day to start fine-tuning the bikes and the riders' feeling.

Monday, February 10th

A great return to Honda for Riccardo Rossi, making his debut with the team, unlike Nicola Carraro, who debuted in the World Championship in 2023 with Team Snipers as a replacement rider for several races at the end of the season.
On the first day, the team worked in dry conditions, focusing on the riders' feeling during their first approach to the Honda. During the scheduled time, the riders had the chance to test both individually and in groups, occasionally riding alongside other pilots.
The day concluded with Riccardo clocking a best lap time of 1:47.291, followed closely by Nicola, just 7 thousandths of a second behind (1:47.298)

Tuesday, February 11th

Unfortunately, the second day saw a drastic change in weather, with heavy rain forcing the riders to delay their exit from the box. However, the conditions provided the team with an opportunity to test wet settings, allowing Nicola to find a good feeling even in these challenging circumstances, finishing his fastest lap in 2:02.
Riccardo, on the other hand, still recovering from knee surgery, chose not to participate in the second day and will continue his progress during the upcoming tests in Jerez.

Comments

Team Manager Mirko Cecchini reflects on the first two days of testing: "These tests were very useful to shake off some rust after the winter break. Riccardo is recovering from knee surgery that sidelined him for months; he recently resumed training, and the initial sensations are positive. Nicola focused on building his confidence with the Honda since he has limited experience with this bike. The weather conditions on Tuesday slowed us down a bit, but next week, we’ll be in Jerez for more testing and will continue working towards the start of the championship."

Nicola Carraro shared his positive impressions, praising both the bike and the team: "Monday was my first time riding the Honda with Pirelli tires, and I felt comfortable right away, both with the bike and the entire team. On Tuesday, I rode in wet conditions and quickly found a good feeling with the bike and its setup. The lap time could have been better, but we’ve identified areas to work on, so we’ll keep following this path when we head to Jerez after this first outing of the year."

Riccardo Rossi expressed his joy at being back on the bike after the challenges of recovering from surgery: "I’m very happy with this first day with the team. I hadn’t been able to ride since November due to the operation. I’m also really pleased with how the test went—I immediately felt a great connection with the Honda. Even though I only did short stints, I still managed to set a good lap time. Now, I’m looking forward to heading to Jerez to continue working!"