Joan Mir ended his second difficult season at Honda but, contrary to expectations, instead of leaving, the Spanish rider decided to extend his stay at HRC until 2026. Aware of the significant disadvantage over the competition, and the Japanese's lack of responsiveness, the 2020 world champion still chose to make a profession of faith.
"I honestly didn't expect to struggle so much with this bike. I was convinced there'd be better results in the short term. Instead, for some reason, we haven't progressed enough by being too far behind the other manufacturers. There's been some progress, but not enough," he had to admit during an interview with Crashnet.
"We're not in the position we'd like to be in. However, personally, I still believe in the project, and that it's only a matter of time, considering how much we're working and where we want to get to," he continued in his reflection by pointing out a slight change in approach by the Japanese, which is essential, in order to catch up with Ducati.
"They understood that their attitude could be okay for another era of the MotoGP but, now, it's a different story. There's a need for help from Europe and the engineers. In Japan, they're fantastic in terms of construction and quality of the bikes, maybe they're the best. But, as pure performance, we're behind, so we need a hand from the Italians and the Iberians, from those who work for the manufacturers from the old continent. Every time they announce a new entry, it's a relief for me. The mix of personalities will become our strength," he revealed.
One of the new additions is Romano Albesiano as technical manager. "I didn't know him but, I must say, I also have a very good relationship with Alberto Puig. He's been clear with me from the very first moment," he stated, before explaining his reasons for not wanting to follow Marquez's example and leave the team.
"When Marc left, he had already proven everything, unlike me. Instead, for me, it would've meant having wasted two years. I want to try because, if I could make Honda competitive again, I'd be really happy," he argued, later praising his team. "They have a lot of technical and strategic experience so, despite the current situation, I'm comfortable with them. We're in the middle of a development process, and we have to accept it. Aerodynamics is probably making us understand our limit more. Obviously, so many accidents don't help. but what's important is having the right mentality," he concluded.