Joan Mir, Honda HRC rider, has shared the reasons that have led him to suffer a series of falls in the 2026 MotoGP season. Despite being considered the fastest rider on the team, his results in the first races have been disappointing, with only one point in three races.
In the opening race in Thailand, a tire problem forced him to retire in fourth place. In Brazil, he had to withdraw from both races due to an illness. His abandonment at the US GP, however, was a result of his own mistakes, leaving him with only three points, well below his teammate, Luca Marini, who has achieved 23.
These incidents have raised concerns about Mir’s performance, especially after a promising qualifying in Austin, where he achieved fifth place. Everything indicated that he could fight for the podium, but a fall on the last lap of the sprint ended his hopes. Additionally, he once had to serve a penalty and fell again while in sixth position, where he had been dominating over the other Honda riders.
Mir has explained that Honda’s difficulties with rear traction force him to push harder into corners, increasing the load on the front wheel and making him susceptible to falls. “It was a promising weekend that we didn’t know how to finish well,” Mir stated about his performance in Austin. Furthermore, he has called for improvements to the RC213V model to be able to compete more comfortably.
Despite the falls, Mir does not want to change his competitive attitude. Acknowledging that in the past he had difficult times where he set low expectations for himself, he stated that he prefers to compete aiming to fight for the top positions. “I don’t want to go back to that phase where I thought I had no chances,” he added.
In recent races, Mir has shown superior speed when racing alone, but he acknowledges that competing with other riders presents additional risks. “When I follow other riders, I have to manage the brake and speed in a way that can increase the chances of falling. That’s what’s happening in the races,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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