The timing table makes it clear: Honda had a very complicated Friday in Austin, with its four riders in the last four positions of the session. Joan Mir (Repsol Honda) was 20th and third to last, almost half a second behind Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) who finished 19th.
The 2020 champion did not hide that it was a difficult day and revealed that the problem has been identified, persists, and a wrong direction was followed in the development:
– It was as difficult as in Portimão. This is the reality. […] We are having some problems that… more difficulties than expected probably after the tests at the beginning of the season. This problem is not improving on different tracks, we are not improving. I cannot even talk about what the problem is, but I think we followed a direction that was not correct and now we are paying the consequences. We have to keep working. The issue is that we detected the problem and now we need to work on it.
Although he believes he could have placed better in yesterday’s session, Mir considers that entering the second phase of qualifying was out of reach, while in 2023 he was not far off: ‘The reality is that my position is not real because I crashed, but I think I didn’t have a chance to go to Q2. And last year I was closer. I missed Q2 by a couple of tenths. My riding here was not perfect and I think I improved there, but for some reason at this moment we are having more difficulties than last year on this track and probably also in Portimão‘.
Next, the Spanish rider spoke about two aspects in which the bike has worsened compared to 2023: ‘Braking and cornering before… one thing that was very good and we could see is that the bike was more agile than the other bikes. Now it is not agile‘.
Asked if Honda is aware of what changes need to be made, the rider from Mallorca replied: ‘Yes. The important thing is to take responsibility for what is happening, change quickly and try to modify the direction quickly. This is very important. This is where we have to be smart, these concessions will be very useful to do it‘.
Finally, Mir commented: ‘Last year I had less difficulty in doing a lap, and this made the weekend easier. In Portimão and Qatar we were much slower on the fast lap than in the race pace – especially me. Last year it was probably the opposite; the bike was more responsive and it was easier to take advantage of the tire. This year you can’t attack like last year probably‘.
