Joan Mir was one of the few riders to test the new 850cc MotoGP bike with Pirelli tires last Monday in Brno. Although the rider from Majorca will be switching bikes and teams next year, Honda wanted to take advantage of his experience and sensations on the bike. These tests were held behind closed doors, and the riders couldn't reveal much in their comments.
However, Joan was still able to form a fairly clear idea about certain aspects, but not regarding the Pirelli tires, since they’re still in their early stages.
“I can’t go into details, but the sensations are very different, compared to the Michelins. Logically, we’re at the beginning of an evolutionary process, and we’ve tested tires that will undergo significant development. For a first test, the foundation is solid.”
The MotoGP bikes will also change significantly. They’ll be lighter, less powerful, and have less aerodynamics. Some say they’ll become more like Moto2 bikes.
“I haven’t ridden the current Moto2 bikes, but it’s true that the circuits feel different when riding the 850. There’s more speed through the corners, like what happens when you have less power. When you have a lot of horsepower, you can prepare the exit better. These bikes have less, and the trajectories are also a bit different. “I’d say they’re more similar to Moto2 bikes than to 1000cc MotoGP bikes,” Mir said. “With the 1000, you shift into fourth gear, then fifth, then sixth, and the bike keeps pushing. The 850 doesn’t go as fast.”
Some unofficial lap times have also leaked from the Brno tests, but Joan advised not to read too much into them. “We all tried different tires, and we don’t know which tires each rider used for their fast lap.”