Would Joan Mir suffer from a lack of recognition born from the curse of having been World Champion at the end of a season lived under the yoke of the health crisis? This is still rife, but the grip has loosened in 2021 offering 18 races rather than 14 and with an overseas expedition as a bonus. And then Marc Marquez was there most of the time. As a result, Fabio Quartararo's 2021 crown seems much more sparkling than the one the Spaniard brought back to a Suzuki factory which had not touched it for 20 years. And that annoys him.
The skill of Joan mir is indisputable, however, it seems that this is not enough to spontaneously identify it among the big names of MotoGP. The paradox is all the more cruel since he is already World Champion in the category, and he is even doubly crowned, since he was in Moto3. In five years, his journey speaks for itself. And yet, we barely talk about it. It must also be said that he only has one victory and that his weapon is consistency rather than domination. In 2020, Mir had a points average of 12,2 in 14 events. During the last season, the pilot of 24 averaged 11,6 in 19 races.
He also does with the bike he has which almost never allows him to start from the first row on the starting grid. A detail that is far from being one in today's MotoGP. But all the same, the teammateAlex Rins don’t understand why it isn’t highlighted more…” My life hasn't changed as much as it could have » he said on Motorsport-total taking stock of the twelve months following his coronation. “ I was lucky or unlucky to have become world champion the year the Coronavirus appeared. The media side was not as important as a normal year ».
He adds : " I was very sad to have become world champion in front of empty stands. I have this with me. I know that if I win again or compete at the highest level for a few more years, the recognition will increase because there will be more fans in the stands. This year, more and more normality has returned, but not yet completely he says. " It's true that I became more famous, but not that much ". In 2021, the Mallorcan finished third in the general classification, without a victory.
Joan Mir and mutual desire with Suzuki: “if I lose this feeling I will leave immediately"
Joan mir is also surprised that this lack of interest also affected his employer Suzuki : " the fact that Suzuki won for the first time in 20 years was not appreciated. Maybe it's not enough to win once. If we fight for the title one more time, maybe the recognition will be greater ". There is therefore indeed a subject of “recognition” in a Joan Mir in uniform Suzuki. What if he went somewhere else? A question to be addressed as the Spaniard has sent signals to the transfer market revealing that he is also open to discussion, like his successor in the championship fabio quartararo.
Moreover, the two men have quite similar views on the item. Here is the version Joan mir : “ I'm 23 and I've gotten better every season. I still have a long career ahead of me and I didn't win the world title towards the end of my career. I entered MotoGP and boom! ".
“There is of course room for maneuver, but it is important that Suzuki wants what I want. As long as I believe that Suzuki wants me and I believe in it, I will be there. If I lose this feeling, I will leave immediately. For me it is important that we both work in the same direction” the talks are definitely happening everywhere at the moment, in MotoGP.
