Joan Mir-Gresini: Dall’Igna’s influence behind the deal

Joan Mir dominated the 2017 Moto3 season with no fewer than ten victories. After earning promotion to the 'middle class', he quickly made his way into MotoGP, where he won the 2020 world title with Suzuki. The following year, he finished third, before a slump that threatened to push him out of contention...

After Suzuki left the MotoGP championship, Joan Mir joined the factory Honda team in 2023. Since then, the Spaniard has struggled aboard the RC213V, hampered by a technical deficit that even Marc Marquez was unable to overcome. Over the last three years, he has finished 22nd, 21st and 15th. In 2026, he has scored just 33 points and currently sits 18th in the overall standings. For comparison, his teammate Luca Marini has 108 points and is 12th.

There is no doubting Joan Mir's talent. But whenever he tries to get the most out of the Honda, he ends up crashing. At the start of this season, it was clear that there would be no place for him at HRC in 2027. The Golden Wing marque immediately set its sights on Fabio Quartararo, and today's news is that Diogo Moreira will join him.

Initially, the Majorcan rider had very few options, but then Gresini Racing stepped forward. "My priority was to find a factory team for Joan," his manager Paco Sanchez told Speedweek.com. "But then we saw that it wasn't going to work. Joan considered quitting. He hadn't even thought about Superbike or anything else. His situation was clear: if I don't have a competitive bike, I'll leave and go home."

When everything seemed to be pushing him out of the MotoGP paddock, Gresini considered signing Mir. This was helped by the good relationship between his manager and Michele Masini, the Faenza team's sporting director. Joan Mir was initially opposed to joining a satellite team, but Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall'Igna was also at the meeting. "He told him he would get a factory bike, receive factory support and, if he achieved the expected results, have the same bike as Marc and Pedro."

It was an offer too tempting for Joan Mir to turn down, especially with no viable alternatives left. After all, the Desmosedici is the bike to beat, having won the last four MotoGP world titles. And with the new 850cc engine era, he will start on equal footing with Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta. "From that point on, Joan forgot about the financial side, which took a back seat," added Paco Sanchez. "He focused on the chance to have a competitive bike again. He wants to feel once more like a rider fighting for the world title, winning races and leading the way."

-> Follow us on Instagram too: @Corsedimoto