MotoGP | Mir: “No rider left Honda better than he arrived”

Honda is not competitive and is not improving. This Friday, the first day of the MotoGP French Grand Prix, the Tokyo bikes occupied four of the last five positions in the time table. Joan Mir is the best placed in 18th position, ahead of Alex Marquez’s Ducati.

“We have the same bike we started the season with, we can’t ask for different results,” was the Majorcan’s summary at the end of the day. “We are struggling in some specific areas, every time I enter the garage I complain about the same thing. We all know, now we need a reaction. In the Jerez tests they understood the direction we indicated and now we have to wait for something to arrive that goes in this direction. This is the reality,” explained a dejected Mir.

The question now arises spontaneously. How long is Mir willing to wait for Honda’s reaction? “I have no idea, I say it and I’m completely honest. I have no idea how long my body can handle all of this. I thought I wouldn’t get this far, but instead I continue to be here doing my job as best I can, trying to stay ahead of everyone (the Honda riders, ed). I try to have good races, but not miracles in Lourdes,” she explained bluntly.

From a market perspective, MotoGP is in turmoil and, even if everyone is looking at Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez and that second Ducati, Mir also has to decide where or with whom to race in 2025, betting on a renewal with Honda or a change: “It’s like this . The truth is that, in recent years, no rider has left Honda better than he arrived.” This is the observation of the Majorcan, MotoGP champion in 2020, a date that seems to resonate increasingly distant in terms of the market.

“This is the reality and, moreover, there is no exception. Nobody leaves better than they came in, you have to manage this situation as best you can and try to see what I like to do. This is the fact. I am convinced that I will have options, not the ones I would like, certainly not. But I will have options. I still know how to hit the gas and I’m convinced that, with a competitive bike, it wouldn’t take me long to stay in front,” she explained.

Mir has very clear ideas about the cause of his poor performance: “I’m calm. Last year I would have told you that this situation started to overwhelm me a little and I wasn’t performing at the level I could. Now this bike rides quite a bit worse than last year’s, but I lapped faster. I’m in a good moment, I feel good physically and I see that I’m not the limitation. On the contrary. Last year I doubted and didn’t perform according to what I expected of myself.”