The 2020 world champion was forced to look for a new bike for this season after Suzuki said it would abandon MotoGP at the end of 2022 and Mir eventually signed a two-year deal to join the Honda factory squad.
The pre-season testing phase hasn’t been easy for Honda, with eight-times world champion Marc Marquez admitting after last weekend’s test in Portugal that the 2023 RC213V is capable of fighting to the max. for the positions between the fifth and the tenth.
Mir, who was the best Honda rider at the end of the tests in Portugal, albeit in 13th position, had an equally difficult time this winter adapting to the bike, and regarding the starting procedure he remarked: “To memorize everything, it was a nightmare because we have to do a lot of things with the previous device”.
“Then you select neutral, which is not the normal neutral of a street bike, you stop, you put the launch control down, you check that everything is ok and then you go”.
“So, it’s difficult because with the Suzuki all these things were very different. It’s difficult to change everything now. But it’s a matter of time. If you repeat everything, I’ll do it automatically in the fifth race of the season.”
Joan Mir, Repsol Honda Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Mir did not embark on his journey to Honda alone, as former Suzuki teammate Alex Rins has joined the Japanese manufacturer’s satellite outfit Team LCR.
But, more importantly for the Majorcan, former Suzuki technical chief Ken Kawauchi has also been hired by Honda to lead the development of the RC213V.
“Seeing Ken-san in the garage gives me confidence,” he said. “We have achieved incredible results together with Suzuki and to have him on board in this process is something great.”
“I’m grateful to have had this experience with him. I think he can do a good job like he did at Suzuki. But we need some time, both of us, to understand everything, to get to know all the people. I think we’re on the right track.” good road”.
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