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Joan Mir didn't see the checkered flag during the Sprint in Austin. A fall robbed him of that satisfaction when he was in 7th place. Errors aside, his performance was encouraging, but the Spanish rider wants more, and he knows it wouldn't take much to get it. "I'm happy, but it's always the same story," he said. "We can see the positive side of things. I was fast and, in the Sprint, my best lap was close to Pecco's, but I don't think I have the tools to fight with them. We're last in top speed."
Did you have to go over the limit?
"The fall was my mistake. I had no warning throughout the race. I had a good pace without pushing over the limit. But I always have to risk a bit more than the others, to make up in braking what I lose on the straights. The balance is great. I really enjoy riding this bike, but it's frustrating when you lose half a second on the straights. I have to be half a second per lap faster than the riders behind me, to allow them to pass me on the straight. So, it's hard to compete."
Did you have any updates for this weekend?
"I didn't have anything new for the engine. I don't know if I will in the Jerez test or when. The same thing had, more or less, happened in Argentina. I was in the middle of the pack and the front tire temperature had risen. It's a situation we've experienced in the past, and it's going to happen again if we don't improve top speed. If we do, we'll be very close to the podium."
Is this the only problem with the RC213V?
"It's not the only one, but it's the biggest one, especially in the race. If you lack grip, you can manage it a bit, but then you get overtaken on the straights at every lap."
Albesiano should be familiar with this limit. What does he say?
"Today, Romano told me that he knows what the problem is and that they're working on it, and to try to be calmer. I told him, 'I want a better engine!," he said, laughing. "All joking aside, I made a mistake because I pushed too much. I ended up on a depression, the same one I had also fallen on in qualifying."
Marini says Honda's electronics are the best.
"Really?" He laughed. "I think our electronics are working well, especially in terms of engine braking. We're working. I think there's still a margin on traction control. I think it's very good, but I don't know if it's the best."
