MotoGP | Mir: “It will be the most important year of my career”

Honda's presentation was certainly one of the most anticipated events of the MotoGP winter. With Repsol remaining out of the way in 2024, a radical change in livery was expected, which actually happened. The new RC213V marks the post-Marc Marquez era, with big changes in every area.

Leading the project is Joan Mir, who faces his second season with Honda in 2024 and does so with the great motivation that the new updates brought by Tokyo have given him: “It's a year of changes and the livery is also very different. I'm fine, we clearly need to improve and in Japan they are working hard. In Sepang I enjoyed riding the new bike and we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The 2020 world champion spoke to the media, including Motorsport.com, at the launch of the new Honda in Madrid. The Majorcan offered his point of view after the Sepang tests and, a few days before the last pre-season tests in Lusail, he is eager to get back on the bike: “I'm very optimistic at the moment. At Honda they worked a lot, they improved the weight, power and grip quite evidently. From Valencia to Sepang they took another step. I have a mad desire to improve this situation.”

This year, Mir inherits Marc Marquez's team and, among them, also Santi Hernandez: “We felt very good from the first moment. We got to know each other a lot, we share the way of working, which is very similar. It's all coming very naturally.” On the surface it seems difficult not to think about his former teammate, however, Mir doesn't care much: “I haven't thought about him all year. He talks about it more outside. Here the objective is to return to the top, excluding the driver who has been in the team in recent years. Media focus? It depends on how you take it. With focus or not, the work in the box must be the same. There is no media focus inside the box.”

Joan Mir, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Repsol Media

Now, in Marc's place, there is Luca Marini. The Italian debuts with HRC colors and rides a factory bike for the first time. However, the rider from Tavullia comes from Ducati, the best bike on the grid, and can offer an important contribution: “I will try to stay ahead of him, your teammate is your main rival, but he can also be your best ally. He can make sure you raise your bar. Luca is a great rider, he comes from the best bike and in terms of information he brings fresh air. We can do a great job.”

The objectives at Honda are clear, we are working hard to return to the top and 2024 will be fundamental for Mir in this sense: “This year is certainly the most important of my career. Being away from the top for a year is bad, let alone two! I became a father and it's something that changes you, I'm really enjoying it and it gives you a boost to face every problem for your child. They say you lose tenths per lap when you're a father, but this is helping me a lot because you understand that you all have to row together in one direction and it's helping me.”

“We have absolute control. Wings and other things provide performance, make bikes easier to ride. But it takes away a bit of the spectacle, it's more difficult to overtake. It equals the riders a bit,” concludes Mir, speaking of the developments at Honda to catch up with the other brands, which are bringing great innovations in aerodynamic terms.