Joan Mir branded Friday on the 2024 MotoGP German Grand Prix because the “most troublesome day all 12 months” when it comes to bike efficiency on the Honda.
The 2020 world champion introduced his season tally of crashes as much as 10 in second apply on the Sachsenring on Friday afternoon, along with his frustration on the bike seen as he shook his fists in anger on the stricken RC213V within the Flip 1 gravel.
A decade in the past, Honda’s arrival in Germany signalled a assured victory within the palms of Marc Marquez. Recently, it’s uncovered the worst of the RC213V.
Twelve months in the past, crashing 5 occasions in a single weekend earlier than withdrawing from the grand prix, the German GP represented the nadir of Honda’s and Marc Marquez’s 2023 season. Finally, it marked the start of the tip of their time collectively.
“Truthfully, as we speak was when it comes to efficiency probably the most troublesome day in all 12 months,” stated Mir, who was final on the finish of second apply. “We made a base [set-up] that we thought was in all probability working right here, not the bottom of Assen, a unique one.
“So, we take a little bit of threat and we bought a bit misplaced within the center. With the bike I used to be roughly in a position to be somewhat bit quicker as we speak. I had a crash the second that I wished to do one thing extra.
“Then that bike was out as a result of it was lacking some items. After which I went with the brand new set-up bike and I used to be not in a position to even experience with that one.
“So, I did not make any lap time in any respect. For me it is smart to threat if you threat for one thing however if you find yourself risking simply to remain on the bike, we do not have to. That is how we are going to make the progress, not [by] making silly issues.
“So, I made a decision to come back early into the field, give the knowledge and for tomorrow hope that I can experience in a greater means and be extra aggressive. However as we speak wasn’t rideable.”
Mir’s emotional response echoed Marquez’s a 12 months in the past, when a wild second going by Flip 11 resulted within the eight-time world champion displaying his Honda a center finger.
Given how sluggish he was going, Mir’s anger stemmed from the truth that he nonetheless crashed the bike.
“The factor that piss me off lots… I’m struggling there, I say this to the engineers and every part,” he stated.
“We’re shedding 1-1.5s per lap when it comes to tempo and then you definately crash. How is that potential?
“And one crash after which one other one and nicely I crash there however I had quite a lot of motion as we speak and quite a lot of motion that I might find yourself on the bottom [as a result of].
“So, that is… I used to be very indignant, I am nonetheless very indignant with the scenario. However let’s have a look at if tomorrow they can provide me a bundle that I’m able to take pleasure in a bit.”
The quickest lap time on Friday on the Sachsenring – a 1m19.622s set by Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales – was 0.649s faster than the Friday finest from 2023. The quickest Honda time on Friday in 2024 was a 1m20.668s from LCR’s Johann Zarco – 2.237s faster than one of the best Honda time of 2023 on Friday in Germany.
That will appear to be an enormous achieve on paper, however it nonetheless left Zarco 1.046s off one of the best tempo down in sixteenth. Mir was 2.225s adrift in final with a 1m21.847s that was solely 0.294s quicker than one of the best 2023 Honda lap on Friday in Germany.
Regardless of this, Mir nonetheless appears satisfied in pushing forward with re-signing with Honda for an additional two years.
“No, no,” he stated if he was now reconsidering his future once more. “At some point does not change the mentality. However we are going to work for tomorrow and we are going to attempt to be able we have been in first a part of the season in different races. Simply as we speak I do not know what occurred truthfully.”
Extra reporting by German Garcia Casanova
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Group crash
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
