Joan Mir has opened up about the two very difficult years he spent with Honda, during which he had to work hard to stay motivated.
Honda seems to be starting to recover after five extremely difficult years. The last three have been the worst for the Japanese manufacturer, which finished last in the championship. The difficulty was all the more difficult to accept because this turnaround came suddenly. Honda went from leading the championship in 2019, with complete domination, to last place in just two years.
Joan mir joined the Japanese brand in 2023, and has experienced its toughest years with it. Gone are the podiums, the victory, and his 2020 MotoGP title. The Spanish rider has scored only 26 and 21 points over the last two seasons, and has continued to move towards the bottom of the standings with the other Honda riders.
And then, suddenly, he returned to the front at the first Grand Prix of the season in Thailand. In practice, qualifying, and both races, he displayed very good pace, as did Johann Zarco, who also rides the RC213V. The bike's improved performance was confirmed in Argentina, where both men were once again very competitive.
Joan mir He finished in the top 10 three times and had one crash, earning him 10 points, almost half of what he had scored in total in each of the previous seasons, but this time in just two races.
Number 36 experiences the situation as a rebirth and a huge relief, after having gone through a relatively long tunnel. "I'm very happy for the team, also because, to put it crudely, they've had a terrible time. It's not easy to get through two years like the ones we've had and stay motivated.", he told Motosan.
Going from the top to the bottom is a real mental challenge as a driver to continue training at the highest level, and to keep the hope that the situation will eventually turn around. Joan mir did not hide his pride at having achieved this and being able to really enjoy what is happening. “Beyond them, I’m also very proud of myself. Staying motivated and working the way I did… Only the people close to me know that. It’s not easy to get up every morning to train with that determination and work hard when things aren’t going well. That’s really where you see the difference, and I did it. I was prepared so that when the time came to enjoy myself on the bike, I would do it.”, he added.
However, there is still a long way to go before Honda can fight for victory against Ducati again, but the Japanese manufacturer is at least returning to the level of Aprilia and KTM, which allows it to play for the top 10, or even top 5, places.
