Joan Mir “fast, but I wasn’t exactly riding comfortably” before Spanish MotoGP crash

Another crash for Joan Mir in the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix at least came with “positive points” on which the Spanish rider wants to focus.

Mir was battling for sixth with Franco Morbidelli when he fell at turn six. A fourth DNF from five races means the statistics are bad for Mir, but a Q2 appearance and top-six contention in the Grand Prix is an indication that things are still improving with the RC213V.

“We have to look at the positive points from today and the speed we were able to show all weekend,” the Honda HRC Castrol rider said after the Spanish Grand Prix.

“I was able to be fast, but I wasn’t exactly riding comfortably.

“I let Morbidelli past because I saw he was faster, and I tried to follow him and escape from the other riders, but he was struggling a lot, and I went wide with him.

“We need to analyse everything from today. If there were eight or nine laps more it would have been a really nice weekend for us, the potential was there – we can be fast, I am fast.

“But we need to finish. Now we switch our focus and look to Monday and the future now.”

Luca Marini was not as fast as Mir but finished 10th for his third top-10 in succession, a run which began with his first HRC top-10 in Texas.

“A good day, a good weekend especially when I look at how tough this weekend has been for me,” Marini summarised.

“Today, I think we achieved the best result I could, I am super satisfied with this and what we have done. Every day we have been able to improve the bike and make good steps forward with my team.

“Our pace was good, we had some good fights and tenth is okay for where we are. I am coming into tomorrow with positivity and excited to find something new.”