Joan Mir: “Honda in the s***? We're closer to the best than it seems"
Unexpectedly, Honda claimed their first MotoGP victory in two years last weekend at the Grand Prix of the Americas via Alex Rins.
It was a colossal boost to the struggling Japanese manufacturer who, last year, failed to score a point in a premier class race for the first time in 40 years in Germany, and relied upon Marc Marquez to be their highest-placed rider in the MotoGP standings despite him missing six races and then returning to fitness.
“It looks like we're in the s***, but we're closer to the best than it seems,” said Marquez’s Repsol Honda teammate Mir.
“We are going in the right direction, I enjoyed riding this bike here.
“We improved braking and cornering speed, but I have the impression that we are always lagging behind in making progress.
“Starting so far back is difficult, but I see potential."
The victory of Rins, taking advantage and holding his nerve after Francesco Bagnaia’s unforced crash, came on the LCR Honda bike and should act as motivated for Repsol Honda’s hopes.
Marquez, their star man, hopes to return from a hand injury next weekend at the Spanish MotoGP to begin chipping away at a 57-point deficit to the championship-leader Marco Bezzecchi.
Mir has failed to finish three races across the first three rounds, a less than ideal start to Honda life after moving, alongside Rins, from Suzuki, and missed Argentina due to injury.
But Alberto Puig, Honda team manager, has backed the 2020 world champion to replicate the form shown by Rins.
“We at HRC believe that his potential is at least equal to that of Rins, because they raced together in the same team for many years and you saw the results,” Puig said.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
