2020 MotoGP World Champion Joan Mir has elected to continue leading the Honda revival, extending his stay with the HRC squad for a further two years.

Mir joined Honda in 2023 following Suzuki’s withdrawal from MotoGP at the end of the 2022 campaign but his maiden season with the Japanese marque was fraught with difficulty.

Multiple crashes and lowly race finishes painted the difficult picture Honda found itself in and that has only continued in 2024.

After finishing 22nd in the 2023 Riders’ standings with just 26 points, Mir’s 2024 campaign doesn’t look much better with 13 points from the first nine rounds of the season.

Honda and its four riders spread across HRC and LCR regularly feature at the back of the field, unable to fight the likes of Ducati, Aprilia, KTM or even fellow strugglers Yamaha.

Still, with factory rides at the European marques all in place, Mir has elected to continue with the HRC Honda team until 2026 and will line up once again with team-mate Luca Marini next term.

“First of all, I am very happy to be able to compete with Honda and HRC for the next two years,” the Spaniard said.

“It was my goal to continue this partnership, and this time I have been able to achieve it. HRC and I have been in partnership since 2023, and as we continue to do so, I believe that by continuing to input my opinions to HRC, I can contribute to improving the RC213V.

“I know what I need to do and I know what Honda can achieve, so I hope that we can both achieve it. We will continue to work hard for the future for the remainder of this season.”

HRC President Koji Watanabe added, “I am very happy to be able to compete in MotoGP with Joan Mir for two years from 2025.

“This has been a tough season for Honda and HRC, unlike anything they have ever experienced before.

“Even in these circumstances, Mir has trusted the team, and we are very grateful for his attitude of never giving up and fighting at any time.

“We, along with Mir, would like to work together with all the stakeholders to make a comeback and do our best to meet the expectations of our fans as soon as possible.

“Once again, thank you to all the fans who always support us. We look forward to your continued support.”

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Joan Mir’s struggles on the Honda MotoGP machine continued following another difficult outing at the French Grand Prix, which saw the Spaniard retire and caused him to question “how long my body can take this.”

Honda’s struggles at the back of the grid continue despite being provided additional advantages from MotoGP’s new concession system.

In the opening five races of 2024, Mir is yet to finish higher than 12th place and is currently the highest Honda rider in the championship.

The four Honda riders often fight amongst themselves outside the points, as proven by Mir’s team-mate Luca Marini, a regular footnote on the timesheets and a rider still searching for his first point of the campaign.

Mir admitted to Motorsport.com that after outlining Honda’s issues following April’s Jerez test, he’s unsure how long it will take to rectify them.

“We have the same bike we started the season with, we can’t ask for different results,” Mir said.

“We are suffering in specific areas. Every time I go into the box I complain about the same thing, we all know that, now it’s time for a reaction. 

“In the Jerez test they understood the path we have shown them and now we have to wait for these people to bring something in that direction, I don’t know how long [it will take] to start to see changes in that direction. That’s the reality.”

Mir is now in his sophomore year with the manufacturer and his Honda tenure has been littered with multiple crashes as the 2020 World Champion has had to constantly ride on the limit with little to gain from it.

As a result, Mir fears that Honda’s uncompetitive bike is taking its toll on his body, but he couldn’t reveal how long he can wait for the bike to improve.

“I have no idea, I say that and I am completely honest. I have no idea how long my body can take this,” he said.

“I thought I wasn’t going to make it this far, and here I am. I’m trying to do my job as best I can, trying to be in front of everyone, trying to do good races, but you can’t expect miracles.”

Whilst Mir is well aware that he and countless riders before him (Jorge Lorenzo, Pol Espargaro, Alex Rins) have all come off worse for wear after a stint at Honda, he believes a competitive package can turn his and Honda’s fortunes around.

“The reality is that whoever leaves Honda in the last few years does worse than when they come in,” he said.

“That’s the reality and, besides, there is no exception, nobody leaves Honda better than they came in. You have to deal with this situation as best you can and try to see what I feel like doing. That is the issue. 

“I am convinced that we will have options, not the ones I would like, probably not, but we will have options. We are still giving gas and I am convinced that with a competitive bike we will be at the front in no time.”

Despite the bike struggling further behind its competitors in 2024, the 26-year-old believes he is more adjusted to the situation he’s in and that his performances on track back that up.

“I’m calm, last year I would say that this situation was a little bit too much for me and I wasn’t performing at the level I could,” he said. “Now this bike is a lot worse than last year’s and I’ve been riding faster. 

“I’m in a better moment, I feel good physically and I see that the limitation is not me. On the contrary, last year I was hesitating and I wasn’t performing at the level expected of me.”

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The Honda MotoGP squad showed off a renewed paint scheme its RC213-V’s will wear in 2024, with long-standing title partner Repsol reducing its backing of the operation for this season.

It’s been expected for some time Honda would be running a different paint job after reports linked Spanish lubricants provider Repsol to reducing its support of the Japanese manufacturer following several tough seasons.

The brand remains its title sponsor for the 30^th straight year for 2024 though, and features heavily towards the bottom of the machine as well as around the seat. A large white Honda is now displayed proudly along the side of the machines, the logo based on a dark blue background reflecting the colors of HRC.

Honda will also run an all-new sustainable fuel developed by Repsol as MotoGP moves to 100% renewable fuel for this season, for all manufacturers. Revealing the design in an online launch, 2024 riders Joan Mir and new signing Luca Marini were on hand to reveal their weapons to the world.

“It’s amazing to be part of a team with such history and success in MotoGP, I am as excited to start this season with the Repsol Honda Team as I was the last one,” said Mir.

“We have had a positive first taste of the bike and five productive days in Sepang, now we have to look ahead to the Qatar Test and the race.

“Last year taught me a lot and I am looking to put everything into practice for this year to help the Repsol Honda Team return to where I know they can be.”

Marini added that he is looking to make the most of his dream to ride for the factory Honda operation, insisting he feels “proud” to represent the organization for his third year in the premier class.

“For me it is an honor to join the Repsol Honda Team, when I was a young child I already had some leathers in their colors for racing minibikes.

“We are just at the start of our journey together, but I already feel a part of the team and well supported by the engineers.

“I’ve ridden just six days on the bike so we are looking to make the most of the last test and begin the year in the best way possible.”

Honda is looking to make a step back towards the front of the field following a couple of tough seasons, which has seen the manufacturer record just two wins in the past four seasons. Its last rider title came courtesy of Marc Marquez in 2019, but it has brought a raft of upgrades to start the term.

Alongside a new engine, which all its riders heaped praise on during the recent Sepang tests for its smoother power delivery, Honda has also brought a revised aerodynamic package and modifications to the chassis to try and make the bike easier to ride at the limit.

Honda will be hoping these upgrades will be enough to lift it from the bottom of the constructors where it ended last season, as well as secure its first win since the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. LCR’s Alex Rins secured Honda’s sole 2023 win, the Spaniard conquering the Circuit of the Americas to emerge victorious in the Americas GP.

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Honda is planning an extensive 22-day testing plan for 2024 as the storied brand looks to return to the forefront of MotoGP competition.

The Japanese marque has suffered for form over the past couple of seasons in particular, the manufacturer scoring just a sole win over this period, courtesy of LCR’s Alex Rins at the Circuit of the Americas last year.  

The RC213V has been developed into a tricky machine that its riders struggle to get the most from, with high-speed crashes from all its pilots a common sight during 2023 in particular. Its poor form, which saw it slump to fifth and last in the constructors championship last term, means it profits from MotoGP’s updated concessions system.

The new format allows Honda, as well as similarly struggling Japanese rival Yamaha, free reign over engine development, unlimited test days, use of their race riders during testing, and a total of six wildcard entries over the season, among other benefits.

Keen to re-establish itself back at the front of the back, Honda is already planning an extensive testing programme with test rider Stefan Bradl. According to Motorsport.com, the marque hopes to use a total of 22 test days over the season. Due to the huge workload this would put on Bradl, Honda is also looking at hiring a second test pilot to split duties with the German.

It will likely look to complete as much testing as possible in the opening half of the campaign, primarily as each manufacturer will be evaluated every six months going forward. This means they could move up or down a concessions rank much faster, so if Honda enjoys a fruitful start to the year they could lose a chunk of their permitted testing ability.

The factory Repsol Honda operation is set to unveil their 2024 colors with riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini on February 13^th, with the satellite LCR squad showing off their schemes alongside Johann Zarco and Takaaki Nakagami a day later.

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Joan Mir will miss his second straight MotoGP event due to the hand injury he sustained in practice for the Italian Grand Prix earlier this month, with Iker Lecuona deputising.

The 2020 MotoGP world champion crashed during the second practice session on Friday during the Italian GP weekend at Mugello, suffering from “synovial fluid and inflammation” from a contusion on his right hand in the aftermath that limited the movement of the appendage – an ailment that forced to him to miss last weekend’s German GP outing.

Mir has yet to heal sufficiently and thus has elected to skip this weekend’s Dutch TT at Assen – the final race before the summer break – with a view to returning to action for the British round of the 2023 championship in six weeks time.

The Spaniard will be replaced this weekend by Honda World Superbike racer Iker Lecuona, who will make his second premier class start of the year after the Andorran stepped in for an injured Marc Marquez in the Spanish GP at Jerez back in April, the latter set to begin the Assen weekend having missed Sunday’s German GP after fracturing a finger during morning warm-up at the Sachsenring.

“First of all I want to wish Joan all the best in his recovery,” said Lecuona.  

“I am excited to join the team again, it’s a true honour. Assen is a circuit I like, I got my first WorldSBK podium there so hopefully we can have another good weekend like in Jerez.

“I am still recovering a bit after the crash in Misano, so this will be a good physical test too. Let’s ride!”

Lecuona performed solidly in his first MotoGP start in well over a year, taking the chequered flag in 16^th ahead of GasGas’ Jonas Folger and only 11 seconds behind Honda test rider Stefan Bradl despite having never sampled the RC213V prior to the event.

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Joan Mir has become the second Honda MotoGP rider to be ruled for this weekend’s German Grand Prix having sustained a movement-restricting contusion on his right hand at Mugello.

The 2020 premier class champion crashed his RC213-V during the second practice session for the Italian GP on Friday afternoon, Mir forced to pull out of the remainder of the weekend having badly injured his right hand in the smash.

Having undergone MRI scans after returning home to Andorra, it was found Mir had suffered a contusion on his injured hand that caused “synovial fluid and inflammation”, which has restricted the movement on the appendage as a result – forcing him to sit out the Sachsenring contest with a hope to return for the Dutch TT at Assen in just under two weeks time.

“Upon returning home, Joan Mir underwent an MRI at the Centre d’Imatge Diagnostica de la Dra. Cuesta in Andorra,” read Honda’s pre-Germany press release on Mir’s forced recuperation.

“It revealed a significant contusion on his right hand with synovial fluid and inflammation, limiting the strength and mobility of his right hand.

“Taking into consideration the results of the MRI, Mir will not participate in the German GP. He will travel to Palma to visit his trusted traumatologist, Dr. Juan Garcias, to evaluate the best treatment and recovery plan of the injury to his right hand, in order to return as soon as possible.”

Honda has elected to not replace Mir for the German GP with usual stand-in Stefan Bradl – Honda’s test rider – meaning the Japanese manufacturer will enter just two RC213-V’s at the Sachsenring after LCR announced it would not replace Alex Rins for the outing after he broke his right leg following a crash during the Italian GP sprint race.

Marc Marquez will take to the grid to try and defend his unbeaten premier class record around the venue, while Takaaki Nakagami will fly the flag for LCR.

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Joan Mir will return to MotoGP action for this weekend’s Americas Grand Prix after missing the Argentinean GP, while Stefan Bradl will step in for the injured Marc Marquez.

Mir was forced to skip the Argentinean GP after suffering cranial injuries in a crash on the opening lap of the sprint race at the Termas de Rio Hondo venue, though after two weeks of recuperation the Spaniard is ready to continue his learning process of the Honda RC213-V following a tricky opening couple of rounds.

Having scored a best finish of 11^th so far in the two races he has completed on his new steed, Mir says his target is to enjoy a “consistent weekend” at the Circuit of the Americas in order to ease himself back into the fray.

“I am ready to get back on the bike in America, I have been able to spend this week at home recovering fully after the fall on Saturday and getting back to training,” said Mir.

“Last year I had a strong race in Austin and Honda also has a very strong record there, so the objective is to have a consistent weekend and avoid problems.

“If we can get a complete race weekend under our belts, I think we will be able to learn a lot and make another step because in the two races are where you are learning the most about the Honda.”

Honda also announced on Wednesday morning that its test rider Stefan Bradl will make his first race appearance of the season in place of the injured Marc Marquez, who confirmed on Tuesday that he would be forced to skip the Americas encounter due to his fractured right hand still not being in good enough shape for competition – the six-time premier class champion keen to recover in time for the Spanish GP in two weeks time.

The German will therefore make his first premier class start since last year’s San Marino GP, in which he scored points with a 14^th place finish as a stand-in for Marquez.

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Joan Mir will be forced to skip this afternoon’s Argentina Grand Prix having sustained “cranial and cervical trauma” as a result of his crash during Saturday’s sprint race.

The Honda rider crashed at Turn 7 on the opening lap of the Termas de Rio Hondo sprint encounter and was swiftly transferred to the local Santiago del Estero hospital for precautionary scans, though he wasn’t immediately ruled unfit ahead of further checks prior to the Sunday morning warm-up session.

The checks unfortunately showed that Mir suffered “cranial and cervical trauma” according to a statement from the Honda outfit on Sunday morning, with the Spaniard suffering from “nausea and dizziness” from the resulting concussion.

“After a morning medical check, Joan Mir was declared unfit for the Argentina GP by MotoGP and circuit medical staff due to cranial and cervical trauma,” began Honda’s brief statement on the matter.

“Undergoing CT and ultrasound tests at the Hospital Santiago del Estero, cervical physiological lordosis was confirmed and Mir continued to experience feelings of nausea and dizziness.

“Mir will return home to Europe to continue his recovery to be fully prepared for the Grand Prix of the Americas, April 14 – 16.”

Honda will therefore be forced to completely sit out the Argentina GP as a result of Marc Marquez also being absent as he recovers from a fractured right hand sustained in last weekend’s Portuguese GP, the manufacturer electing not to replace the six-time premier class world champion for the second round of the year.

The brand’s interests will therefore be represented by satellite squad LCR, the Italian squad set to line-up in 11^th and 12^th with riders Takaaki Nakagami and Alex Rins respectively.

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Fabio Quartararo is set to undergo corrective surgery following the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix to fix the fractured finger he sustained in the Malaysian GP last weekend.

The reigning MotoGP world champion crashed his Yamaha in the fourth practice session just ahead of qualifying on Saturday at the Sepang International Circuit, a spill that saw him sustain a significant impact on the tarmac with his left hand – thus causing a fracture in his middle finger on the affected hand.

He is set to undergo a procedure to fix his fractured digit ahead of 2023 according to Sky Sports Italia, with Yamaha having confirmed the news to the broadcaster.

The Frenchman managed to ride through the pain barrier on Sunday to recover from 12^th on the grid to close out the podium finishers in third, and is set to complete the campaign curtain-closing Valencia GP with the injury as he looks to try and keep hold of his title – though with a 23 point deficit to recover with only 25 to play for, his quest looks tough.

Mir to try and rectify arm pump woes

Joan Mir meanwhile is set to join fellow premier class world champion Quartararo in going under the knife following the Valencia GP, the Spaniard having suffered with a severe bout of arm pump in the closing stages of the Malaysian GP.

The Suzuki rider was running well inside the top six in the early laps of the encounter, though after his arm pump set in he quickly plummeted down the field to an eventual finishing position of 19^th.

Mir says he is looking at undergoing the routine procedure to make sure he staves away any other issues in 2023, where he will join Marc Marquez at the factory Honda outfit.

“I think that it can be a good option,” said Mir of potentially undergoing arm pump corrective surgery.  

“Honestly, if you put everything together, and we think about why we had this problem, we changed a front lever at the beginning of the weekend, because I suggested it.

“Normally, during the season I do a lot of motocross, dirt track, I am able to train with a lot of bikes. In previous months, I was not able to train even with the motorbike, this for sure maybe create a bit the problem.”

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Joan Mir will return to MotoGP competition in next weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, his Suzuki outfit announced on Thursday morning.

The 2020 premier class world champion has been out of action since the Aragon GP last month, the Spaniard having already missed the preceding San Marino GP as a result of sustaining an ankle fracture during a nasty first-lap crash at the Red Bull Ring at the end of August.

He attempted to return at the Motorland Aragon after being replaced by Suzuki world endurance rider Kazuki Watanabe at Misano, though found his ankle to have not healed sufficiently – his practice running actually making the injury worse and thus forcing him to miss the last two events in Japan and Thailand respectively.

Having been replaced by Suzuki MotoGP test rider Takuya Tsuda and ex-premier class competitor Danilo Petrucci respectively at the two encounters, the Japanese outfit announced on Thursday that Mir would return to the controls on his GSX-RR at Phillip Island next weekend, though conceded he is still “not at 100%.”

“It looks like everything is getting better, and I was very happy to hear the latest news from the doctors following my checks,” said Mir.

“The injury appears to be healing well and the recovery work I’ve been doing has paid off.

“I’m still not at 100%, but I feel it’s time to come back because the situation is a lot better than it has been in previous weeks.

“I want to spend these last three races of the season with my team, so I hope that I will feel OK on the bike and be able to ride well.”

Mir currently sits a lowly 15^th in the riders standings having not scored any championship points since June’s Dutch TT, while his podium drought currently runs all the way back to last year’s Algarve GP  – with Suzuki’s last rostrum finish to date coming all the way back in April at the Circuit of the Americas courtesy of Alex Rins.

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