Joan Mir “more sensitive” to one Honda MotoGP bike change in 2025

One-time MotoGP world champion Joan Mir says Honda’s improved engine character on its 2025 bike was a change he was “more sensitive” to.

After a miserable 2024 season, Honda made significant gains with its 2025 challenger to be able to score better results consistently.

As well as securing a win in wet conditions with Johann Zarco at Le Mans, Honda bagged three dry-weather podiums, with Joan Mir taking two of those at Motegi and Sepang.

Honda scored 210 points more than it achieved in 2024 and lifted itself out of the bottom of the concession rankings for 2026.

Utilising concession benefits across the 2025 season, Honda brought numerous updates, but the most significant for Joan Mir was to the engine.

“For me, what makes… It’s not one thing,” he said in Valencia when asked what the most important changes to the bike were.

“In the position that we were in the past, it was not a matter of one thing.

“It was a matter of improving the aero, improving the engine, improving the grip, electronics, and understanding a little bit more what was happening.

“But the engine character was something that, for me, worked very well to make a difference compared to the other Honda.

“Probably I’m more sensitive in this way with throttle control and these things.

“Probably they are able to handle with less connections in a better way, and I struggle more.

“And then the feeling on the front, to have better braking stability, even if it’s not fantastic, I’m at a good level now.”

Mir ended the year 15th in the standings on 96 points, but only saw the chequered flag in nine of the 22 rounds.

The 28-year-old only finished successive races once during the campaign, with a run of 10th, seventh and 11th from Silverstone to Mugello.

Zarco took top Honda honours in the standings in 12th, while Mir’s team-mate Luca Marini was 13th.

Both Mir and Marini come into the final year of their current Honda deals in 2026.