Joan Mir: “Situation is more complicated at the back, I was a victim…”
Mir was running towards the rear of the field before contact with Marini took place at turn four.
The Repsol Honda rider, who has one of the highest crash counts in 2023, was unable to finish the race as a result.
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The Spaniard has also retired from more grand prix’ than he’s finished, as the Australian MotoGP was his eighth DNF in 12 appearances.
As a result of his dreadful first season with the Japanese manufacturer, Mir is 22nd in the championship and sits on 20 points, 12 less than Dani Pedrosa who has competed in just two rounds.
Speaking after Saturday’s race, Mir said: “I am disappointed with today, it is another hard one. I was just trying to make my race, not hurting anyone, trying to take care of the tyres because you saw what happened at the end of the race.
“We were working in the correct way according to the data. Then Marini tried to overtake me and hit me, and I fell after losing the front.
“Being in the back, the situation is more complicated as the riders are fighting a lot – I was a victim of it today.”
Like most of the grid Mir was on the more favourite medium rear tyre strategy, whereas team-mate Marc Marquez opted for the soft and suffered late on as a consequence.
