Joan Mir’s Return to the Podium
Former MotoGP champion Joan Mir made a notable comeback to the podium with Honda, marking his first appearance in almost four years since his last rostrum with Suzuki.
Throughout his initial two years with Honda, Mir faced challenges, securing only two top-ten finishes by 2025. Early this season was particularly tough for him, finishing only one of the first six races due to bad luck and ongoing difficulties.
“In the first part of the year, the best thing you could do with this bike was a top seven,” Mir stated in an interview with Crash.net. “Realistically, to achieve more required unusual conditions or circumstances.”
Despite securing seventh place at Aragon and a sixth position in Austria after various race withdrawals, his fortunes shifted with the introduction of new aerodynamic upgrades at Barcelona. Mir remarked, “After Barcelona, we saw improvements in the aerodynamics and engine connections, which were major issues for me.”
The culmination of these enhancements came during the race in Japan, where Mir achieved Honda’s first MotoGP podium since Marc Marquez at Motegi back in 2023. He replicated this success at Sepang, which he describes as his finest race of the year due to the bike’s performance on the historically challenging track.
“Sepang typically isn’t very favorable for our bike concerning grip, but we managed the situation well,” Mir elaborated. “I had a crash in the sprint race, so I was determined not to repeat that mistake.”
Despite showing impressive skills, such as late braking, which he had to adjust while racing with Suzuki, Mir still faced challenges, including a high number of non-finishes this season. However, with Honda’s performance improving, he feels optimistic for 2026. “This year was crucial for us to gain momentum,” he concluded, “and we aim to build on this foundation moving forward.”
