Joan Mir has believed that he will suffer the same fate as Jorge Lorenzo and Pol Espargaro, who were unable to adapt to the RC213V, despite having only five points in the 2023 MotoGP season.
“This race was very hard for me. I had problems stopping the bike and holding the line,” Mir said.
“I couldn’t do what I wanted. At the moment, the team doesn’t understand what I need to go fast, and I don’t know what I need to ride this bike better.
“Of course I’m scared. I want to win, and it’s difficult for a rider like me to see me in the position I’m in. My motivation is to win, get on the podium, stay ahead.” Mir added.
Mir’s journey to Honda is crucial to truly entering 2023. The 2020 champion was in the midst of contract negotiations with Suzuki, where he wanted to stay for a another two years.
However, out of the blue, Japanese factory decided to leve the MotoGP, forcing Mir to look for a new direction. Honda then appeared as an option. And a good option, even if the RC213V’s problems were well known.
Mir did not opt for a difficult motobike, but for a champion team, owner of an enviable curriculum in the premier class of the MotoGP World Champion.
But, as they say, those who live in the past are museums. Honda’s timing was not good at all. Even before losing Marc Marquez to a fractured right arm, it had already become evident that the bike had serious problems, as Jorge Lorenzo, also owner of an enviable resume, including his third MotoGP championship, failed to tame the bike.
Lorenzo’s time at Honda was so bad that he opted to throw in the towel and leave a year before his contract expired.
Over the 15 races he competed in 2019, Lorenzo added just 28 points, which earned him the bitter 19th place in the standings. Very, very far from a great champion, as he insists on being referred to.
