Honda Newcomer Joan Mir "has confidence in [his] abilities", but...
Categories: MotoGP
Joan Mir knows the most important phase of his career only began with his move to Honda. He doesn’t feel pressure from his teammate Marc Marquez.
After Suzuki’s departure from MotoGP, Joan Mir was left without a place for the 2023 season for a long time. Now the Spaniard is starting his first year with Repsol Honda.
The 2020 world champion follows Pol Espargaró, Alex Márquez and Jorge Lorenzo – all of them riders who never really found their feet in the Honda factory team.
For Mir, too, the transition to the Honda will be a big task. However, the 25-year-old knows what he is capable of.
“I am in a good phase of my career to face this challenge. The expectations are high. You always want to be as fast as possible.”
Mir will do everything he can to haul in top results for the Japanese. “I don’t know if I can fight for podiums from the first race on, but I will give my best.”
“It’s a new chapter in my career and the second phase for me in MotoGP. It’s very crucial. If it doesn’t work, then we will have to rethink things.”
The 2020 World Champion sets himself some big goals for the upcoming season. “I can’t afford not to be at the top. That’s my goal and the team’s goal.”
A lot of pressure and fear of failure
Even before the season starts, Mir feels the pressure from being the rider on the factory team that is spoilt by success. Should things not go well, he says, this will only continue to grow.
“Pressure is something an athlete has to deal with,” Mir holds. “In a team like this, there is extra pressure.”
“But if you have that winning mentality and you put pressure on yourself, then something from the outside doesn’t affect you.”
Nevertheless, the Spaniard admits he always carries a certain fear of failure with him. Confidence in his own abilities, however, outweighs them.
“The fear of failure is always there, not only in this team. But I have confidence in my abilities and in this team.”
Even the botched pre-season test at Sepang doesn’t seem to detract from that. Mir remains optimistic:
“I think we will have a competitive bike. When we are at the top, it is up to us to manage it. I’m confident.”
