Joan Mir “hungry” for more MotoGP podiums after Asian success
Joan Mir is targeting a third MotoGP podium of 2025 at the Portuguese GP.
After podiums in two of the four Asian MotoGP races in September and October, Joan Mir is targeting more in the final two races of the season.
Mir took third place in both Japan and Malaysia during MotoGP’s 2025 Asian tour, his first podiums since the 2022 season and therefore his first with Honda.
The Spanish rider’s performances came after clear progress was made with the RC213V after the summer break, with Mir’s teammate Luca Marini also showing improved form.
For Joan Mir, the final two races are now opportunities to add to his rostrum tally.
“We ended the flyaway races in a great way and I am hungry to return to the podium again,” Mir said ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix.
“In the past we have done [okay] in Portimao on the Honda RC213V and the bike and myself are much stronger now.
“The goal is to find our base quickly and make the small adjustments during the weekend.
“We have two races to end the season in the best way possible and show our speed, there are no doubts about the improvements we have made this year.
“Two more races for 2025 and then all our attentions move to 2026 and the future.”
Marini “can hardly compare our past” at Portimao
The unusually large gap between races at Portimao – which was the first European race of 2024 but is the penultimate race of the season this year – means that for Luca Marini there is almost no reference this weekend.
Marini’s previous visit to Portugal with the Honda HRC team saw him finish 17th, just behind Marc Marquez who had crashed on the penultimate lap with Francesco Bagnaia.
But the Italian has been a regular top-six and even podium contender in recent races and he feels it is therefore difficult to compare himself now with where he was at the 2024 Portuguese Grand Prix when he was in just his second race with Honda.
“Our goals remain the same for Portugal and Valencia; to fight at the front and show all of our potential,” said Marini.
“In 2024, Portimao was just my second race with Honda and our situation has evolved a lot so we can hardly compare our performance there in the past.
“Just two races left in what has been a good 2025, but we still have a couple of things to tick off our list to be really satisfied from the year.
“Let’s enjoy these moments with the team and the fans.”
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Alex joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two years.
