Joan Mir repeats: ‘Nobody goes out of Honda in a better way than they went in’
Joan Mir, the 2000 MotoGP world champion, finds himself at a crossroads as he considers his future in the category. After joining Repsol Honda following Suzuki’s exit from the championship, Mir has faced continued challenges with the RC213V, which remains at the at the bottom of the constructors’ standings for the third consecutive year.
Mir managed to improve his performance slightly, scoring half of the 26 points he achieved in the entire 2023 season; however, he openly admits his doubts about continuing with Honda, especially in light of his former teammate’s successes with the team, Marc Márquez, who revitalised his . career by joining Gresini Ducati.
In his latest statements, Mir was categorical, saying that no one leaves Honda in a better situation than when they entered. “When I arrived at Honda, I had a lot of offers… And now that’s not the case,” revealed Mir. “I have to wait for others who have priority at the moment. This is the reality. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past. There are already others who are doing the results, maybe 4-5 pilots, who have priority.”.
Mir is waiting for the Dutch TT in Assen to make a clearer decision on his future. He wants to evaluate all available options before making a decision. “I have to have all the options on the table to decide, instead of saying I know exactly where I want to go. That’s not the case for me right now. I don’t know where I want to go. I will wait until I have all the offers on the table, and then I will choose,” he explained.
Despite being Honda’s best driver, Mir knows that his current position (18th overall) and best result in a race (12th) are not enough to attract the attention of the main teams. Honda’s difficult situation has been a determining factor in its uncertainty. “People consider the bike you ride, of course, but the reality is that no one leaves a Honda in better condition than when they came into it,” he reiterated.
Mir also looks at the example of Márquez, who moved to Gresini Ducati and, in a short time, showed an impressive performance. Márquez is on track to join the Ducati factory team in 2025, a decision that has forced the Italian manufacturer to sacrifice championship leader Jorge Martin. “I have spoken to Marc many times. How did you feel last year, and how do you feel now? I have an example of a line that I can follow, or another that is to stay in this situation [at Honda],” said Mir.
At the age of 26, Mir is not ready to retire, despite the difficulties he faces. He believes that if he can get out of his difficult situation at Honda and become competitive again, his mentality will change completely. “I don’t think I’m going home. “If you start being competitive again, your mindset changes completely, and you might want to stay another ten years,” he said.
Mir needs to see concrete signs of progress from Honda to consider continuing with the team in 2025. With vacancies at the top teams filling up fast, he must make a crucial decision about his future in the coming weeks.
