Joan Mir: “This result means a lot, light at the end of the tunnel”

Joan Mir finished practice for last October’s 2024 Thai MotoGP in just 19th place, where he then remained in qualifying.

But the factory Honda rider kicked off the 2025 season in far more potent form, seizing sixth place at the same circuit on Friday, just 0.378s behind leader Alex Marquez (Ducati).

Despite all four Hondas being bottom of the speed charts, the 2020 world champion feels he finally has an RCV he can push to the limit and can "see the light at the end of the tunnel".

“This result means a lot for us,” Mir said on Friday evening at Buriram. “We have to be super happy because you know the amount we’ve struggled through these last two years.

“It has not been easy. But we never gave up and, even when nobody believed in us, we continued working. And now we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“There's still work to do, but the bike allows me to ride.

“I'm able to push the front and I start to ride like how I like. Braking super hard, going in with brakes, carrying corner speed.

“It’s true that from mid corner to the exit we lose, and we have the slowest bike on the grid. Being [only] three tenths behind with a bike that is minimum 5k slower on the straight is not easy! But that’s why we have to be happy.

“Tomorrow, if we put everything together, I think we have enough pace to enjoy racing and this is the most important thing.”

Enjoyment has been hard to come by for Mir in recent MotoGP seasons.

After winning the MotoGP title in only his second year at Suzuki, Mir took six podiums the following year, but has been absent from the rostrum ever since.

That includes both previous seasons at Honda, where fifth place at the 2023 Indian Grand Prix is his only top ten finish.

“I’m happy for my team [today]. Also, happy for myself I would say!” Mir smiled.

“Because being successful in the first part of my career, more than a lot of riders, and then being in this situation for the last two years, you can imagine has been not easy.

“I [handled] it as best I could. We never gave up and we started to see some light. I'm very happy for this.”

Joan Mir “takes risks” but “I understand what is happening now”

Asked to explain why he’s able to go faster on a bike that, from the TV images, looks a handful to ride, the Spaniard said:

“I understand more what is happening now. I feel the tyres. I feel the connection with the engine. The bike turns in a slightly better way. It stops in a slightly better way.

“But the truth is the engine is not better than last year and last year was not very fast. So that is our biggest issue now. We have to focus on it because I'm sure that if we can improve that engine, we can be very optimistic.

“We would be, I think, quite solid inside the top five or top eight with a better engine.

“Now we have to take risks. A lot! Probably more than the others because we don't have the grip and acceleration. We have to compensate on braking, corner entry and corner speed.”

Mir said he doesn’t know when Honda will provide its next engine update.

“I know that they are working. I hope as soon as possible. It can change a lot our potential,” he said.

Mir’s fast Friday, which put him ahead of top Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo, was backed up by LCR’s Johann Zarco also claiming direct Q2 access with tenth place.

That means at least two Hondas are guaranteed to start inside the top 12 for Saturday’s season-opening Sprint and Sunday’s grand prix.

Mir’s team-mate Luca Marini was 14th fastest with rookie Somkiat Chantra in 21st.