Joan Mir is having his most challenging season since he arrived not only in MotoGP but also in the World Championship paddock. After seven rounds, he has recorded three retirements in main races, with two 12th-place finishes being his best results.
Honda is currently the least competitive bike in the field (it failed to score points for the second time this season at the Italian GP), and this does not make the Spaniard’s task any easier. Yesterday, in the main race at Mugello, he retired for the third time in seven races, worsening his results crisis.
It is true that since his debut in MotoGP in 2019, Mir has had other sequences of poor results: particularly in the 2019 (his worst start scoring 12 points in seven races) and 2022 seasons. However, in both cases, there was light at the end of the tunnel knowing that he had a competitive bike in his hands. That is not happening this year, with the Honda RC213V seemingly in an endless downward spiral.
Without a contract for 2025, the 2020 champion may very well refuse to continue with Honda beyond this year, which would force the manufacturer to look for a rider… when it is far from having the most coveted spots in the field. In fact, there are even rumors that Mir may consider retiring, which would be a surprising decision.