Joan Mir–Honda total split: "I won't continue here

A heavy blow for Joan Mir at the end of the eventful MotoGP race in Barcelona. What was supposed to be the first big highlight of the season, with an unexpected second place, turned into a major disappointment. A problem with tire pressure penalized the Mallorcan, with FIM stewards handing him a 16-second penalty and knocking him off the podium. In the Mallorcan’s future there may be a way out of a professional situation that is becoming nothing short of disheartening.

After winning the 2020 MotoGP title and Suzuki’s exit from the premier class, Joan Mir has been on a downward trajectory in his career. Since joining HRC in 2022, he has collected just two podiums, grappling with a Honda RC213C hampered by development delays. In front of the home crowd at Montmeló, he had found his way back to the podium at the end of a chaotic race marked by three starts. Unfortunately for him, and for the Winged brand, the final outcome changed after the podium ceremony.

It was a truly hectic afternoon at the MotoGP Catalan GP. The race was stopped twice with red flags. This forced mechanics to work against the clock on the grid and to change tire strategies during the event. The first serious incident of the day occurred on lap twelve, when Alex Marquez and Pedro Acosta were involved in a nasty collision. Race Direction had to immediately display the red flag to allow the track to be cleaned and to assist the Gresini rider, who was later taken to Sant Cugat hospital.

When they tried to restart for the second time, things didn’t improve. A multi-rider crash erupted at the start, involving Luca Marini and Pecco Bagnaia. Johann Zarco was the hardest hit in the chaos and was taken straight to the hospital for X-rays and a CT scan on his leg. The third restart saw Fabio Di Giannantonio seize the moment and win for the second time in MotoGP. Right behind him came Joan Mir, author of a fantastic comeback that brought smiles back to the faces of the Honda team, who have been working for months to regain their best form.

The joy lasted only as long as it took the bikes to cool down. As soon as the riders stepped off, the stewards announced that Mir’s bike, along with those of Bagnaia, Raul Fernández, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alex Rins, would be subjected to thorough checks because their front tires did not meet the minimum pressure levels required by the current regulations.

Before receiving the penalty, Joan Mir spoke to journalists in the press room. "I really don’t understand all this... Because the sensor I have on the front wheel was working perfectly." The 16-second penalty drops him from second to thirteenth, spoiling an unexpected celebration in front of the Montmeló crowd.

In the meantime, Joan Mir is looking to the future; the adventure with Honda will come to an end at the conclusion of this World Championship. He has already reached an agreement with the Gresini team for 2027, where he will partner with young Daniel Holgado. "I can’t say anything about that," the 29-year-old Mallorcan said in Barcelona. "What I can say is that after Jerez I decided not to continue with Honda. That’s right, I won’t stay there."

When asked whether this decision was due to Honda’s silence regarding his future or the result of a conversation with the brand’s management, he gave a clear answer. "At Jerez I received absolutely no information from Honda management about what would happen to me. And one thing is clear: I didn’t deserve that. That’s precisely why I decided I didn’t want to continue here."

Mir has taken his future into his own hands and chosen the same path as Marc Marquez in 2023, when he decided to leave Honda to give his career a new push by moving to Gresini-Ducati. But the Cervera phenomenon chose to race with the satellite team almost without a salary. Would Joan do the same? "Yes, I would right now." However, he refused to say whether he actually will...