Let's talk MotoGP: Here's why Joan Mir isn't going in the right direction

It's time for the season debrief. As every winter for the past two years, this column analyzes each rider's campaign in detail, from the lowest-ranked to the world champion. The aim is to provide a reasoned perspective on the performance of each of our heroes, so we can all discuss it together. Are you ready for this new installment, dedicated to Joan Mir? Let's go!

Yesterday's episode was dedicated to Ai Ogura; you can find it by clicking here.

 

Joan Mir risks everything

 

This year, Joan Mir had a historic campaign, but not for the right reasons. The Honda factory rider, world champion MotoGP In 2020, he finished third among the drivers for the company with the golden wing, and in my opinion, had a very disappointing, almost wasted, season. Admittedly, I had imagined him even further down the standings (21st). But I hadn't anticipated Honda's return to the forefront., which largely carried Mir in the last third of the championship.

 

 

Let's start with the positives. Indeed, he sometimes had speed. Since the Austrian Grand Prix, the factory team has found a solution – which Johann Zarco did not initially benefit from – and everything was much better. This allowed him to achieve some excellent results, including two podium finishes, in Japan and Malaysia.In Motegi, he was even quite competitive throughout the weekend, as evidenced by his fourth place in the Sprint.

These two results are really all that can be salvaged from his season, which ended with him finishing 15th overall. Indeed, for the rest of the season, he recorded the highest number of retirements in 2025, with no fewer than 13 on Sunday. This means he hasn't even finished half of the Grands Prix; it's an absolutely incredible statistic.. Admittedly, he was sometimes hit, but overall, he was solely responsible for the vast majority of his falls.

I don't understand how anyone can defend him. Sure, he's been on the podium twice, but isn't that normal, given his equipment? For a two-time career world champion? I can't see what's so exceptional about it.Joan Mir takes enormous risks throughout the season, squanders huge opportunities every fortnight, and has managed three times, including the Sprint in Japan, to capitalize on his speed.

 

Luca Marini is a much better driver

 

For the past two years, I maintain that Luca Marini is a better driver than Joan MirIf this was a hotly debated topic before, I hope everyone now accepts it. Right? Well, I have figures to back up my theory. First, in the overall standings, there's no comparison. It's not even close. Luca Marini beat his teammate by 46 points, while missing three races to zero.

Many believe that Mir is struggling because he's significantly faster, takes more risks, and tries harder to achieve big results. This is completely false. This myth needs to stop, as it's been used as an excuse for far too long. If you compare the two riders' results in each Grand Prix, Joan Mir has only beaten Luca Marini five times, compared to fourteen times in the other direction. In the Sprint, Marini leads 10 to 7You might think that Mir had a significant advantage in qualifying, due to his famous speed? Mir was indeed ahead, but only by ten to nine; it was very close. If we compare retirements, Mir is logically ahead, and this time by a considerable margin: 19 to 3, including the sprints! More generally, we saw Marini finish ahead of Mir (and Zarco!) on numerous occasions during races, well before the Spaniard's crash. This is a complete victory for Marini.

 

 

For several years now, I haven't been able to find any arguments to defend Mir.He has two podium finishes in an era where all drivers can compete for it (13 have been on the podium this year), but it is no longer a determining factor. That's not enough to make up for such a poor season.

 

Conclusion

 

Let's return to the title of this article. Yes, I think Joan Mir is playing with fire and making a mistake, on two levels.Firstly, I think his racing philosophy isn't suited to modern MotoGP and wouldn't appeal to many teams on the grid. He's not doing himself any favors by crashing so often. Secondly, there's the physical aspect. After so many crashes, it's a miracle he's escaped unscathed, in an era where the machines are so dangerous that a single collision with another rider can land you in the hospital for six months.

Unfortunately, as was the case for Marc Marquez, the harsh law of sport does not give any breaks to those who frequently push beyond their own capabilities or those of their mount. I sincerely hope he will change his approach in 2026 and become the consistency monster he was in 2021. – his best season –, largely due to his good physical integrity.

I'm curious to know what you thought of Joan Mir's season. Tell me in the comments!

As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.

 

 

Cover photo: HRC