MotoGP testing brings major Honda first for Joan Mir

Joan Mir says the 2025 MotoGP pre-season was ‘the first time I’m able to be as competitive as now’ as a Honda MotoGP rider.

The 2020 premier class champion has endured a miserable two years as a factory Honda rider so far, but continues to back the project having re-signed for a further two seasons.

The 2025 RC213V looked solid across winter testing, with Mir sixth-fastest at the end of the Buriram test and feeling like Honda is “well-prepared” for the new campaign.

“Honestly, we have to be very happy,” he said on MotoGP’s After the Flag.

“We put everything together here what we have in the last day and we were able to be competitive. So, that is fantastic.

“It’s the first time I think that I’m here that I’m able to be as competitive as now. So, we have to be super happy.

“The team also has to be happy, this is the reward.

“This test means nothing but means a lot also because the work that they’ve done is something that when you put it on track the only way to see if you make a good job is if we improve and we are fast.

“And actually, I am surprised honestly about what we’ve been able to do in this day and I think that arrive well-prepared.

“But also a race weekend is a different story, so we still have a couple of weak points and the weak points that we have are pretty big.

“So, we have to continue working.”

“Priority” Honda problem identified by Joan Mir

As well as strong one-lap pace, Mir completed a sprint simulation on the last day of testing on par with that of Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and not far off one Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi grabbed headlines with.

While happy with where the Honda is at, Mir admits a lack of engine power needs to be addressed while ongoing vibration issues which blighted his 2024 campaign remain a “priority” problem.

“Honestly, after the sprint simulation, the work was done,” he added.

“We could finish the test. But at the end we put on a new tyre and just made one time attack at the end.

“And the lap time was not bad. It’s true that in the first two sectors we lose a lot, but in the last two not so much because they are more about corner speed.

“So, it means we are getting closer.

“It’s true that the engine is still not there and this thing can be also a problem because during a race weekend and in a race you have to defend yourself with horsepower.

“And this is something we will not be able to do if they don’t bring something. Like I said, we don’t have many weak points but the ones that we have are pretty big.

“The vibration is still there. Despite the improvements that we’ve made, the vibration is still there and still a problem.

“Probably the vibration is further [into the corner], it allows me to go a little bit faster. But it’s still there, so it’s a priority [to fix].”