The step forward shown in preseason lap times never led to excessive confidence within Honda. The golden-winged brand acknowledged some improvements, but knew they weren’t enough to close the gap with European MotoGP manufacturers. Still, they didn’t rule out aiming for a top-five finish, a position Joan Mir had been consistently targeting until crashes derailed his progress. The Spanish rider has now suffered six crashes between sprints and main races, the latest at the French GP. After finishing sixth in Saturday’s sprint, he retired from Sunday’s race just when a top-five result seemed within reach.
“It’s not the way we wanted to end what was a really good weekend for us, because I think we had a chance to finish in the top five. It was a crash I didn’t expect. I had the hard front tire, which allowed me to follow Fabio (Quartararo) safely, but when I overtook him I had to be very aggressive to keep heat in the tire. Braking into the straight, I lost control of the front end too early and had a very big crash,” Mir explained. The incident required several stitches on his right hand due to cuts. After that setback, the most important thing was knowing that the 2020 champion was “okay.” But the outcome once again showed him that “the front end of the Honda remains critical.”
Seeing the chequered flag in the sprint and finishing sixth was a positive sign for Mir regarding the RC213V’s issues: “I was able to bring the bike back to the garage. We finished the race, which is ultimately the goal, and we managed to control the risk on the front end a bit. I think we’re achieving that here.” However, while Mir believed “the time at Le Mans is helping us work well and keep everything more under control,” the French circuit gave him a mixed bag. But despite the crashes marking his start to the season, the MotoGP champion has no regrets: “I’m happy. In the end, when you give 100% of the package you have, you have to be satisfied.”
That package Mir refers to will accompany him for the rest of the season. Honda has decided to stop developing the current prototype to focus on the future. That doesn’t mean the front-end problem of the RC213V is insurmountable through electronic adjustments with the current package. But the Balearic rider has accepted that with this material, “we can’t do any more miracles.” “A real sixth place like in the sprint, with nobody ahead having problems, I think we can be happy with that. We’re getting 150 percent out of our package,” reaffirmed the 2020 champion, who will continue fighting for more, no matter what it takes.
