The 2020 world champion switched to the manufacturing facility Honda squad for this season after Suzuki give up the collection on the finish of final yr.
Mir is the fifth completely different rider in six years to accomplice Marc Marquez at Honda, following Dani Pedrosa in 2018, Lorenzo in 2019, Alex Marquez in 2020 and Espargaro in 2021/2022.
Pedrosa’s closing yr was his first winless one in MotoGP, whereas Lorenzo’s MotoGP profession was successfully ended by the woes he suffered at Honda. Alex Marquez has since departed to Gresini Ducati having struggled at LCR Honda during the last two years.
Mir’s season has been a shocker to this point having scored simply 5 factors from the primary 5 rounds in a usually robust yr for Honda – albeit one through which Alex Rins did win the Americas GP for LCR.
Following a double crash on the French GP, Mir admits he’s “scared” of struggling the identical destiny as Lorenzo and Espargaro at Honda given the difficulties he presently faces.
“For certain I’m scared, for certain, as a result of I wish to win,” he stated. “It’s very tough for a rider like me to see myself within the place that I’m.
“My motivation is to win races, to make podiums, be within the prime group, that is what offers me the gas for it. It’s a very long time that I don’t have this gas.”
Honda launched its Kalex-designed chassis on the French GP for Marc Marquez and Mir to race, with the previous noting that the brand new body was a particular enchancment even when extra areas of the bike nonetheless wanted to be mounted.
Marquez was capable of qualify second and battle for the rostrum in each races at Le Mans, however Mir admits each he and Honda “doesn’t perceive what I should be sturdy”.
“What I wish to do, I can’t do it,” he defined. “I believe in the meanwhile the staff doesn’t perceive what I should be sturdy.
“Additionally, I don’t perceive what I’ve to do to trip this bike in a greater manner and to carry out, as a result of I attempt to trip differently, to make a special model.
“But it surely’s not my pure model in the meanwhile, we aren’t within the place we wish to carry pace into the nook, open [the throttle] a bit earlier.
“Each time I’m huge, I open the road. In the meanwhile, we’re struggling. That’s a truth.”
Joan Mir, Repsol Honda Group
Picture by: Marc Fleury
Mir added that he could be fast in FP1 periods, however already reaches the restrict of the bike. Nonetheless, he believes the 2023 Honda could be adjusted to him.
“I imagine that we will modify this one,” stated Mir. “In case you perceive a little bit bit the state of affairs, you see that we arrived right here [to Le Mans], we put out a motorbike in FP1, then I used to be not capable of enhance the lap time of FP1.
“So, I understand how to trip as a result of right away I’m there. But when I attempt to be stronger, all the pieces turns into extra sophisticated.
“It’s not that I overlook about driving, it’s simply they’ve to grasp what I have to discover the kind of driving I’m used to.
“After all, as a rider you possibly can change some issues however you possibly can’t change all the pieces.
“So, we have now to seek out this compromise with the staff, with what I would like. Now, we’re driving a special bike and we weren’t capable of make it work on this trip.”