Joan Mir qualified in eighth position at the Austin circuit. A fairly distant position on the grid which will make his race management difficult, especially if the high temperatures, which his Suzuki is not fond of, continue.
We transcribe his entire remarks here.
Joan, how was your day?
« During the various free practice sessions I managed to be fast despite a few small mistakes, but during qualifying it was the opposite: I expected much more. I encountered the same problems as yesterday as soon as the temperatures were higher, namely difficulty in slowing down the bike. All these concerns manifested themselves in the afternoon, from FP4 then in qualifying. It's a shame because I felt strong until then. For the race we will try to resolve this problem while being realistic. We will see what happens tomorrow, we will try to be fast and consistent in the race, we have to be optimistic. »
You say you have to be realistic about the race. What does this mean in practice?
« By this I mean that we have to see how our rhythm evolves, because in the morning it is much better than in the afternoon. »
Why do you think the Suzuki is so sensitive to high temperatures?
« It's true that our motorcycle is very sensitive to these types of conditions. I often happen to be very fast during FP3, but later in qualifying I have much more difficulty. Last year we made good progress on this point, particularly during the last part of the season, in Portimão and Valencia. »
Yesterday you explained that you had problems with the stability of the bike. Were you destabilized once you passed Q2 by the bumps on the track? Did this have any effect on your qualifications?
« I was mainly talking about a lack of stability during braking phases, but we solved this problem during FP3, before it reappeared in qualifying. »
How do you explain the fact that the Ducatis monopolize the first five places on the grid?
« The Ducatis are always very fast in the flying lap exercise, but we will try to be stronger in the race. »
