Joan Mir’s promising COTA MotoGP weekend resulted in frustration because the HRC rider crashed out of the Dash and Grand Prix races.
The previous MotoGP champion confirmed a few of his strongest type since becoming a member of Honda, together with qualifying inside the highest ten (eighth) for the primary time since India 2023.
However a double DNF meant Austin turned one other missed alternative.
“It’s an actual disgrace to crash out once more”
Mir was a part of a bunch battling for fourth in Saturday’s Dash when he fell, then fought again from thirteenth to tenth within the Grand Prix earlier than one other crash – once more whereas attempting to fend off the superior straight-line velocity of a KTM.
It marked Mir’s third crash of the weekend and fifth of the season, putting him equal with Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi for essentially the most falls within the early rounds of 2025.
“It’s an actual disgrace to crash out once more whereas working up in place,” Mir mentioned.
“It’s actually irritating to have this occur once more as a result of our potential is way more and particularly this weekend.
“When driving alone I could be quick however after we are battling with different riders, I lose that feeling. I’ve to be very aggressive after which these items occur.
“The staff and I must work on this, our scenario this yr could be very completely different to final yr – we’ve the potential, however we will’t get it out.”
Joan Mir, 2025 Americas MotoGP Dash
“We might be very near the highest three”
It had been a equally irritating story after the Dash, the place Mir set the fourth quickest lap earlier than his accident, once more whereas attempting to make up for the RCV’s lack of high velocity.
The COTA weekend completed with Mir sixteenth on the highest velocity charts.
“We will take the positives and say we’re quick and we made the identical lap time as Pecco, however I do not really feel that I’ve the instruments to struggle,” Mir mentioned after the Dash. “We’re amongst the final ones when it comes to high velocity.
“The crash was my mistake, however it’s important to danger a bit greater than the others. You need to use a bit extra entrance brake, to get well the space you might be shedding in high velocity.
“The stability with the bike is superb, I am having fun with driving this bike. However on different hand it’s irritating.”
Mir defined he needed to construct up a half-second benefit over the remainder of the lap to keep away from being overtaken by Pedro Acosta on the straight.
“It is irritating as a result of with Pedro I needed to be half a second per lap quicker than the rider behind to keep away from being overtaken. Like this it’s troublesome.”
Mir added that consistently pushing the entrance tyre underneath braking to compensate for engine efficiency results in elevated entrance stress and a lack of grip – just like the ‘soiled air’ impact when following one other rider carefully.
“One thing comparable occurred in Argentina. The entrance stress goes up as a result of I’ve to danger extra with the entrance,” he mentioned. “So this state of affairs – we had it earlier than and we can have it once more sooner or later if we do not enhance.”
But when Honda can discover high velocity, Mir feels they might problem for his or her first podium since Marc Marquez at Phillip Island in 2023.
Joan Mir, 2025 Americas MotoGP
“If we enhance – it isn’t slightly bit, we’ve to enhance so much – the engine, we might be very near the highest three.
“It’s not the one factor [we need] nevertheless it’s the largest problem, particularly through the race.
“As a result of the grip roughly you’ll be able to deal with, you’ll be able to push a bit extra originally. Then you definitely run out of tyre, however you’ll be able to play a bit.
“However with the engine, each lap you go onto the straight, you probably have somebody behind, he’ll overtake you!”
Mir mentioned new HRC technical director Romano Albesiano has assured him that the top-speed problem is being addressed.
“He informed me, ‘You’re quick’, that they know what the issue is and they’re working laborious. He mentioned, ‘You need to attempt keep calm’!”
After years of looking for the best engine character, a serious step within the Honda’s dealing with seems to have been made for 2025. The problem now could be boosting energy with out sacrificing that newfound rideability.
Regardless of Ducati’s continued dominance on the entrance, Honda’s early progress is seen. The Japanese producer has climbed from fifth and final within the constructors’ standings to second total.
Johann Zarco (seventh) and Luca Marini (ninth) additionally sit inside the highest ten of the riders’ standings, with Mir at present sixteenth – resulting from three DNFs within the six races. Rookie Somkiat Chantra is but to attain.
The excellent news for the Honda riders is that, underneath the concession system, they’ll obtain modified engines through the season.
The Jerez post-race take a look at on the finish of this month is the subsequent apparent date to attempt such upgrades, however Mir mentioned he would not but know when “one thing higher” will arrive.
The Qatar Grand Prix, from April 11-13, will happen earlier than the Spanish Grand Prix and post-race take a look at.
