In the unforgiving world of MotoGP, every race is a battle, but for Honda, the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez this weekend promises to be a test of truth after a debacle at COTA. Repsol Honda team rider Joan Mir puts recent difficulties and low hopes of recovery into perspective for one of the first European stages of the 2024 season.
Despite the challenges, Joan mir displays cautious optimism, aware of the importance of local support in a pilot's performance. “ I think coming to a race like Jerez where you all local fans to support you will be a help after the rough weekend we had in Austin" , sharing Mir. He emphasizes the importance of overcoming obstacles: “ it is important to put this behind us and to continue working as we did at the beginning of the year to understand the capabilities of the bike this weekend."
It has been a difficult season so far for Honda, with performances below expectations, especially after the success of the previous year. The only pilot Honda to finish the races Austin was Luca marini, and even there, he closed the debates in last position.
Joan Mir: “ we are realistic about what is possible »
Honda sought to correct course with private tests in Barcelona, alongside the test pilot Stefan bradl. However, Mir remains realistic about the improvements to be expected immediately. “ We are realistic about what is possible and we must focus on improvements and aim for more in the future“, he said. “ It's about progress step by step, and we can't expect a big step forward at this point. »
Marini share the feelings of Mir, focusing on continuous improvement rather than instant miracles. “ It's another weekend to continue working with the team and aim for further improvements" , Explain Marini. " Now is not the time to stop working, we must continue to collect information to not only try to improve our current package, but also to work on developments for the future."
The entire team is well aware that Jerez could provide fertile ground for these necessary improvements, thanks to the extensive data collected during previous trials. “ Jerez is a good track for this kind of work, the testing team has done a lot of testing here and will be with us this weekend so it will be interesting to see what we can get out of it“, adds Marini.
While Bradl prepares to join the fray as a wild card, eyes will also be on his fellow test drivers from other teams, adding another layer of complexity to an already busy weekend.
In this context, the team Honda seeks not only to overcome its recent difficulties, but also to establish a solid foundation for the future, from which it can hope to rebuild its stature in the world championship MotoGP.
