Marc Marquez, Joan Mir to use Kalex chassis at Le Mans
HRC test rider Stefan Bradl gave the long-rumoured German frame its debut during the post-race test at Jerez.
But the schedule was delayed when Bradl suffered a sizeable crash while trying a new aero package on the frame at 2pm.
Following repairs, Mir’s planned run on the Kalex then ended after less than a lap due to a technical issue.
However, with Marquez - returning from injury this weekend - without a MotoGP win since 2021 and fellow former champion Mir scoring points once in his opening eight Honda races, both have decided to roll the dice and try the Kalex in practice at Le Mans.
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"It is mandatory to try the Kalex chassis, I completely agree," Marquez said. "[Because] I missed the Jerez test and it is important.
"It is not the best strategy to achieve results on a race weekend. But it’s time to do it because then we will have three weeks off, when they can work more. I will test, if the weather is ok, in FP1.
"I’m really happy to come back," added Marquez, who missed Argentina, COTA and Jerez due to his thumb fracture. "I cannot expect a lot this weekend. It’s true that its a month-and-a-half without riding any type of bike.
"The target this weekend is to try to get the rhythm again of a MotoGP bike.
"Then in the next three weeks rebuild my physical condition. I had a hand injury so it was difficult to keep the same physical condition.
"I will work for the team, for Honda, because I missed the test in Jerez, one of the most important in the calendar.
"The weather conditions will be tricky but I’ll do my best."
"I don't know if I will try in the morning or in the afternoon, but the intention is to try it," said Mir of the Kalex.
"We think that it can be positive. It feels different, but I don't want to say if it's better or not because, on one lap, every bike is good.
"I don't know where the limitations of this chassis is [yet], so I cannot tell you if it's good or not."
The Kalex chassis follows Honda swapping its own carbon fibre swingarm for an aluminium Kalex design during the 2022 season.
LCR riders Alex Rins and Takaaki Nakagami are not expected to try the Kalex frame, although Rins will try the evolution chassis used so far this year by Mir.
