Joan Mir: “Honda knows what they need to succeed” - Exclusive
Joan Mir believes Honda now understands how to succeed in the current MotoGP era, as the former champion aims to be “fighting for something” in 2026.
After several seasons in the MotoGP wilderness, Joan Mir is convinced Honda now understands what is required to succeed in the current era of aerodynamics and ride-height devices.
The 2020 MotoGP champion joined Honda in 2023 as team-mate to Marc Marquez, before moving into Marquez’s crew after the #93 departed for Ducati at the end of that year.
Following a low of just 21 points, Mir and the Japanese manufacturer made tangible progress last year under the new technical leadership of Romano Albesiano.
Honda rose above Yamaha in the manufacturers’ standings as the RC213V claimed a wet-weather victory with Johann Zarco, alongside three dry grand prix podiums.
The final two of those podiums were secured by Mir, ending a rostrum drought that stretched back to 2021 while delivering HRC its first factory-team trophies since Marquez.
Crucially, Mir also rebuilt his confidence after a torrid run of 32 grand prix retirements and ten injury-related absences across his three seasons with Honda.
“I’m now in a very good moment in terms of confidence,” Joan Mir told Crash.net at the end of last year. “But I think that I’m not at my limit in terms of confidence.
“There’s still a bit of margin to go. But I need to be fighting for something… Hopefully something that can happen [in 2026].”
The combined efforts of Zarco, Mir and team-mate Luca Marini lifted Honda out of the lowest D concession ranking for 2026.
While Ducati dominated the championship with new signing Marc Marquez, the Desmosedici was no longer a clear step ahead of the rest in the hands of its other riders.
“It was a year where the other manufacturers could recover some distance to Ducati,” Mir confirmed.
“Ducati struggled to improve their machine for [2025], and the others did it.
“Now we have more or less a package where we can fight for the top five.
“But if KTM make another step, maybe we have three KTMs in front of us, and then we are back where we were. So we cannot sleep!”
It has now been six years since Honda last won the MotoGP world title.
The seasons that followed saw Marquez’s injury struggles expose how much ground Honda had lost to the European manufacturers, particularly in the new technical battlegrounds of aerodynamics and ride-height devices.
Does Honda now understand the type of bike it needs to return to the top?
“That’s a very good question. Because it’s something that maybe [in 2024], I was not convinced to say to you that Honda knows exactly where we have to go,” Mir replied.
“But now I know that, yes. Now they know what they need to be successful in this new MotoGP era. They know it.”
Mir will begin preparations for the final season of the 1000cc Michelin MotoGP era at next week’s official Sepang test.
Mir and Marini are yet to sign for the new 850cc era, with Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo now tipped to ride one of the next-generation factory Hondas.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.