Joan Mir, the 2020 MotoGP champion, has openly criticized Honda’s performance following a disastrous showing at Le Mans, highlighting ongoing issues with the Honda RC213V. The Spanish Grand Prix weekend saw Honda continue to struggle, with Johann Zarco managing only a 15th place in Q1, marking the best result for Honda riders who largely found themselves at the bottom of the time sheets.
Fans have grown accustomed to seeing Honda riders lagging behind, a trend that Mir believes will persist without significant updates from the manufacturer. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing new to say. Until we get new parts, not much will change,” Mir expressed, indicating his frustration with the current state of affairs.
Mir pointed out that the current RC213V has even lost the few advantages it had over last year’s model, particularly in ‘stop-and-go’ corners where they previously managed to maintain a competitive pace. “We’ve lost one of our few qualities. Last year we could maintain a good pace coming out of the tight corners. Now, even that advantage has disappeared,” Mir lamented.
Despite being in better physical condition this year, Mir feels the main limitation is now the bike, not the rider. “This bike is performing much worse than last year’s, and I’ve been riding faster this year,” he commented, highlighting the paradox of improving personal performance while the machinery lags.
As the MotoGP ‘silly season’ heats up, with riders negotiating contracts for the coming year, Mir is exploring potential moves away from Honda. He is aware that recent performances might negatively impact his ability to secure a competitive contract, but remains confident that with a capable bike, he could quickly return to the front of the pack.
Looking ahead, Mir is cautiously optimistic about the upcoming tests at the Mugello Circuit, although he admits uncertainty about what Honda will bring to the table in terms of new parts or improvements. “We have a new test in Italy, but I don’t know what we’re going to test there. We also need to give time for the new people at Honda to settle in. But I must admit that so far, I haven’t felt any improvement,” Mir concluded, hoping for significant changes but tempering his expectations.
