The inaugural round of the 2022 MotoGP season resulted in Enea Bastianini's first victory in the premier category, at the end of a perfectly controlled race which saw the Italian take control in the very last laps to the detriment of Pol Espargaró .
Among the disappointments in Qatar, we can probably cite the Suzuki, which had nevertheless impressed so far during winter testing before dominating the first day at Lusail. Arriving sixth on Sunday, Joan Mir returned to her race by answering questions from journalists via teleconferencing software. We transcribe here the entire words of the Spanish pilot.
Joan, can you summarize your first race of the season here in Qatar?
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It is frankly disappointing. I expected more. I got off to a good start and had fun during the first few loops, but then I started to lose grip on the back and start to slide. Normally this is an area where we are not too bad because we are really careful. We will have to understand what happened, and know what we can do to be better in the last laps next time. »
Do you think the problems you encountered with the rear tire are linked to the extra power you have this season? Perhaps there is still a little work to be done on the electronics level on this point?
« Not really, I don't think that's the reason. We ran a much faster race than last year, so the bike improved. But as always the problem is that the others have also progressed well! But this time, even if I was careful during the race when I hit the gas again, I never found a good level of grip. »
Which driver who finished in front of you surprised you the most?
« I would say the two Hondas, and of course Enea Bastianini and Brad Binder, who I didn't even believe could finish the race here.
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This year the race took place earlier than planned. Did you feel a noticeable difference in the track conditions, particularly in terms of grip?
« This was a big help, because even when the time was moved forward the humidity remained high. This schedule will have to be kept in the future in my opinion. »
Qatar GP MotoGP – Race Results:
