On cloud nine since last weekend, Joan Mir believes that Honda now has the potential to return to the podium.
Joan mir Has he finally managed to break out of the downward spiral he's been stuck in? Since joining Honda, the Spanish rider has indeed fallen to the bottom of the standings, in addition to suffering a string of crashes. This season alone, he has crashed 13 times and withdrawn twice in the 34 races he's contested. That's almost a blank result in every other race. In addition to his personal mistakes, he's been hit several times by other riders, dragging him further and further down the rankings.
But in Japan last weekend, Mir finally resurfaced. All the planets aligned, and he went look for a podium, in addition to finishing fourth in the sprint race and qualifying on the front row. Obviously, his motivation is at its peak and he only wants one thing: to start again.
"We're clearly coming into this with a good momentum and I'm really looking forward to getting back to work with the team. Japan showed us what we can do when we put everything together, and it proved the effectiveness of our hard work. The goal for this weekend is clear: to repeat our performance from Japan and continue to fight at the front. I don't see why we can't do it again. In Japan we showed that we were capable of achieving a good result." did he declare.
"Here at Mandalika the circuit is very different and I admit it's not my favorite track but I think we have a competitive bike now. I think that, unlike before, there's nothing we can't do now, we have a completely different package. It allows me to feel competitive in areas I couldn't be before. It's certainly difficult to make predictions at the moment and the weekend remains a question mark. We'll try to start the weekend well during the first practice laps and avoid making mistakes that would ruin Friday."
Mir remains aware of the reality of his season and the level of his competitors, but hopes, if not to return to the podium, at least to finish the year back at the forefront.
"I'm not saying we're going to fight for the podium in every race, because it's complicated, but it will be important to maintain this consistency. The goal is to be in a positive spiral that allows me to finish the season well, so as to start the next one well, in addition to the new features that will arrive."he concluded.
