Joan Mir reveals ambitious target for Dutch MotoGP

Joan Mir and Luca Marini are hoping to solidify Honda’s recent performances with another top five result at the Dutch MotoGP in Assen.

The two factory Honda riders each achieved season-best results over the last two rounds, with Marini finishing fifth at Balaton Park before Mir claimed the same result last weekend at Brno.

Those performances have been backed up by an impressive run of form for LCR Honda’s Diogo Moreira, who took the checkered flag in sixth at the Hungarian GP. 

For Mir, the Czech grand prix was his first top ten finish in a main race this season, let alone a top five, which is the sort of position the 2020 world champion believes Honda’s potential warrants.

However, no Honda rider has achieved a top five finish at Assen since 2019 when Marc Marquez (race winner) and Cal Crutchlow both stood on the podium. 

This year’s Honda is of course more competitive than in recent years, but a top five might still be an ambitious target, especially with Assen being one of the harder circuits to overtake on.

But when speaking ahead of this weekend’s Dutch MotoGP, Mir said: “Feeling good heading to Assen which looks to be a really hot weekend, I think for sure the hottest weekend there!

“It’s a unique track which is really different to Brno and certainly to Hungary but I think that we can continue to show our potential. 

“It’s a circuit where a lot of different riders and bikes have been strong in the past and if we can repeat our Czech weekend, I know the top five is possible. 

“We’ve had some bad luck the last few years, but the good thing about luck is it always can change! Let’s make the most of this weekend.”

On the other side of the garage, Marini has achieved six top ten results through the opening nine rounds, and he too, is hopeful of a big result at Assen.

Marini added: “It’s clear what our objective for the weekend is: be strong on Friday afternoon. 

“Assen is a circuit that can be quite complicated to overtake, so arriving to those first four rows from the start will make our lives a lot easier. 

“My side of the Honda HRC Castrol team have been working great the last few weekends to keep on improving the bike so I am sure that when the lights go out on Sunday, we as a team will be at our best moment of the weekend. 

“Looking at the weather, I can’t think of a Dutch GP that was so hot – let’s see how this changes things because in the past it was more likely to have rain in Assen!”