Honda’s Lack of Updates Leaves Joan Mir Fuming After Barcelona Test
Joan Mir criticized Honda for failing to deliver key updates at MotoGP’s Barcelona test, leaving him frustrated about the RC213V's 2025 prospects.
Johann Zarco’s 2024 MotoGP campaign offered Honda a rare glimmer of hope in what was otherwise a difficult season. While the factory’s struggles continued, the French rider showed steady progress is possible, even on a Honda, and that there may be a path forward as the brand eyes a brighter future in 2025.
Zarco reflected on his year and the challenges he faced adapting to the RC213V. “I’ve seen it in the French media and on social media – people are impressed with how I’ve approached the season. I couldn’t allow myself to lose focus.”
“This was a personal challenge. At Ducati, all the bikes were fast, so the evaluation was different. Here, it was a new challenge, which turned out to be positive this year,” Zarco shared.
He admitted the road was far from easy. Early in the season, keeping up with the rest of the MotoGP field. However, in the final six races, Zarco and LCR Honda managed to turn things around. “That was a great feeling,” he said.
“Maybe it took longer than expected, but better late than never. It became a huge motivation for Honda, Lucio [Cecchinello], the team, and me at the right moment. It wasn’t always clear if the issues were just the bike’s performance or my own mistakes. That was the hardest part when the results didn’t speak for me,” he admitted.
As the season neared its end, Zarco’s performances improved. Starting in Indonesia, he found a rhythm that carried over to the subsequent rounds. “The motivation is high. I hope the work this year brings progress over the next two years.”
“I’m understanding the Honda better, and we’ve improved in certain areas. The end of the season was more positive than I anticipated.”
For Joan Mir and Luca Marini, Zarco’s ability to extract performance from the struggling Honda was as puzzling as it was impressive. Mir openly acknowledged the difficulties he and others faced compared to the Frenchman.
“We’d like to understand it. He’s managing to do something that feels impossible for us. Every time I push harder, I end up crashing,” Mir said. He described the RC213V as requiring an “unusual riding style” due to its unpredictable behavior.
Luca Marini noted specific traits that made Zarco stand out amongst the Honda riders in 2024. “Zarco manages something unique. When he opens the throttle, the bike turns, and he can pick it up 50 meters earlier than I can. We need more rear traction and a way to get the rear tire working better,” the Italian explained.
Marini also drew comparisons between Zarco’s performance with Honda and their previous battles on Ducati machinery. “In the past, I could gain a tenth on him in every braking zone and then he pulled away on corner exit. But now, with Honda, it’s more like a thousandth and, yet, he’s still better on corner exits.”
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