Joan Mir and Repsol Honda continue to strive for better results in MotoGP, but the Qatar GP left some hope with a 13th place finish on a track that was more challenging for the bike. Next up is the Portuguese GP, where the rider expects improvements on the RC213V and hopes to perform better.
The 2020 champion clarified that they will stick with the base found in Losail: ‘We start with the base we had in Qatar. Normally when you find a base during the same year, you just keep that base on average. You don’t look so much at the data of the last year because the bike is different. So we start with that base, obviously with the adjustements that this track requires’.
After their performance in the opening round, Mir is optimistic for Portimão, believing that the circuit may even be more favorable: ‘Qatar is a very difficult track for our bike and we were able to make a decent weekend, let’s say. And this track I think in a more natural way can be better for our bike, also maybe for my style. So maybe we can be a bit closer to the top. It’s important because we will understand more in this track. I’m curious to see where we are in these European tracks and we’ll see’.
The Mallorcan also revealed: ‘Stefan [Bradl, test rider] has been testing two days, he’s trying different things. It looks like tomorrow we’ll try some things to see if we can make another step forward and be closer to the top guys. It’s chassis stuff, probably some different components, but I cannot speak so much about it, is normal. And some electronic stuff, some details that are important. We have to take profif from those concessions’.