The press conference at the end of the Grand Prix from Malaysia MotoGP 2025 met in Sepang Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), Peter Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Joan mir (Honda HRC Castrol) for their post-race debriefing.
Joan mir has finished 3e, thus unlocking his second MotoGP podium with Honda this year, after the Japanese Grand Prix, and the 15th of his career in the category.
With the Majorcan in 3rd position, this is the Honda's fourth podium finish this season.
The last time Honda had achieved four (or more) podium finishes in a single season was in 2021, with a total of five.
As usual, we report here in full the words of the latter, without the slightest formatting, even if it is translated from English.
🎤 Welcome to the Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix post-race press conference.
On the top step of the podium we find Alex Márquez, author of an incredible race in the special colors of BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP - congratulations.
In second place, after an exceptional battle, Pedro Acosta for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, and finally, a great comeback and a second podium of the season for Joan Mir, from Honda HRC Castrol Team: your smile says it all, congratulations to all three of you!
🎤 Joan, a big disappointment yesterday, but today you bounced back with a second podium finish in the last few races, and you were back in the groove. Okay, Pecco had a technical issue, but you were right there in the fight and managed to come back very strong.
You must be really happy to show that it wasn't just a flash in the pan at Motegi and then "ciao!", but a real confirmation this weekend?
Joan Mir: "Yes. First of all, it was probably one of the most difficult races of my life, in terms of managementIt's true that we were a bit lucky with Pecco's problem, the kind of luck you get when you're fighting at the front. And I think, yes, everything was complicated: when you're following someone, the front tire temperature rises, and then you start having trouble braking, turning the bike with the rear wheel, which increases tire wear, and then you don't make it to the end of the race with the tires in good condition.
The whole race was like that: thinking about it all the time, trying to manage tire pressure while staying fast.
That was the best possible position for us today, because those two pilots had something extra, even though I had a bit of trouble in the first few laps, with more drivers around, because I was a bit further back at the start of the race.
The comeback was good, but even without that, I couldn't keep up with their pace today.
🎤 So, compared to the pre-season, Honda has really taken a significant step forward. You've had two podium finishes recently, there have been other highlights throughout the year, and Alberto was just telling us that the team felt things were moving in a very positive direction.
How are you feeling today, looking back at what you experienced here during pre-season testing? What is the biggest difference, and did you expect this going into the weekend?
"Well, I was expecting a better weekend than in Australia, because Australia is always a bit of a unique circuit on the calendar. So, I didn't expect to have the same potential as in Motegi, but something similar to Mandalikawhere, without the fall, I think I could have fought for the podium too.
Finally, regarding the motorcycle, now, in terms of settings, we have found something that allows me to ride in a better way. I can attack more with the front end, I can turn the bike more easily when entering a corner.
But it is true that we still have certain limitations, becauseIn terms of grip, we still sufferOn a track with low grip, it becomes difficult. So, we're working on that very point, trying to improve it for next year, in order to have a competitive package everywhere.
But we should be very happy with the work accomplished since last year, in fact, since the three years spent at Honda. This is not something short-term, This is the result of long-term work.by giving the right information to the engineers, by working together, to build a competitive motorcycle.
And now, we must enjoy this moment.
»
🎤 This race seemed to be mostly about managing the soft rear tire. And, from what I understand from Michelin, the big gap between the medium and the soft comes from the fact that at the beginning of the weekend it was colder than usual, and the track had little grip.
Now that it was very hot, would it not have been worth taking the risk of using the medium tire, or was it simply because you did not have enough data on it?
“Yes, I think they explained very well what the reality is on this circuit. I tried the medium tire three times this weekend, and I gave it another chance this morning.”
And as for our motorcycle, well… it didn't work — I also think that for everyone, it wasn't good.Therefore, we couldn't give this medium rear tire a chance in this race.
🎤 Joan, after the summer break, when we saw you fighting for the top 6, you said you thought you could aim for the podium before the end of the year, and your prediction turned out to be correct.
But now, in your opinion, when will Honda realistically be able to fight for victory?
"I don't know about that, Neil (laughs). But yes, first of all... before you start running, you have to keep working, first and foremost."
It's important that we consolidate these podium positions a bit, becauseRight now, I feel like we'll either finish on the podium or we'll end up on the groundAnd that's not possible.
We need to improve this, try to work a little more on the bike, make it a little more stable, and slightly improve the grip.
This would make the motorcycle a little easier to ride, because
For now, you have to push to 150% every lap, and it's very easy to make a mistake under these conditions..
This is an area where we need to improve, even if it's difficult, because the closer we get to a better level, the more complicated it becomes to improve further, as we have seen in the past.
So, making progress on the current package will be difficult, but I think we still have some room for improvement.
The engineers are very good, and I have a lot of confidence in Honda. They are doing everything they can to get us back to the top as quickly as possible.
But you know, Before winning, I would especially like to be in those positions more regularly. »
Results of the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang:
Classification credit: motogp.com
The full debrief with Joan Mir, third in the Malaysian MotoGP Grand Prix at the Sepang circuit. MotoGP Malaysia debrief Joan Mir
