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The worst qualifying performance of the year at the worst possible time is the summary of Joan Mir’s day at Le Mans. While Quartararo was celebrating pole position, Suzuki’s Spanish rider was stationary in the garage, after failing to get through to Q2. Tomorrow he will start 14th, a long way away from the Frenchman, from whom he is separated by only 8 points in the championship.
Being able to make up some of those points seems to be an undertaking bordering on the impossible.
“Honestly, I don't see myself on the podium tomorrow - admitted Joan - I don't have the same sensations as always, I usually struggle in qualifying but I have a good pace, this time I don't. Fabio is on pole… Honestly today I wasn’t bothered about the other riders, I was focussing on myself. Petrucci and Miller are also on the front row, so it won't be easy for him to get away but, as I said, I just want to find the right sensations on the bike ”.
However, it doesn’t look as if it’s going to be very easy…
"Honestly, today was a really difficult day for me, I struggled so much - he continued - We made some improvements but they are not enough yet, there is room but I will really start from the back and if I want to recover I will have to improve my confidence".
The problem is well-known: the difficulty in getting the front tyre up to temperature…
“We are working for that - explained Mir - I lose a lot in the first sector of the track, about half a second, because when I get to the first left-hand corner I can't stop the bike, I can't get in quickly. In the other parts I am fast, and this is positive, but if I want to have a good race tomorrow I will have to recover at least two or three tenths at that point ”.
Which is not easy, because it mainly seems to be a Suzuki problem, as even Rins is not going particularly well in this French weekend…
"I don't want to blame us riders, the bike or the tyres, in the end it is everything that counts and for now it doesn't work in these conditions, we are not competitive and we have to work - said Joan - The cold temperature is a problem, these are conditions on the limit for racing, we have seen how many crashes there have been, even in the other classes. It's not easy to find confidence when you crash and don't understand why. I think I would have had the potential to fight for the first two rows, but it's not easy to be in Q1 and push hard when you're trying something different. With the second tyre I was improving, but I got the yellow flag and had to stop ”.
The question is whether somehow the pressure is not also having an effect on the Spaniard now that he is fighting for the title…
“It has nothing to do with what's going on - he guaranteed - On the contrary, I like the pressure and it makes me give my best. The problem is another ”.
