Joan Mir: “Honda in the s***? We're closer to the best than it seems"
Unexpectedly, Honda claimed their first MotoGP victory in two years last weekend at the Grand Prix of the Americas via 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Alex Rins.
It was a colossal boost to the struggling Japanese manufacturer who, last year, failed to score a point in a premier class race for the first time in 40 years in Germany, and relied upon 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Marc Marquez to be their highest-placed rider in the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:MotoGP standings despite him missing six races and 🌳then returning to fitness.
“It looks 𝔍like we're in the s***, but we're closer to the best than it seems,”🍌 said Marquez’s Repsol Honda teammate Mir.
“We are going in the𒐪 right direction, I enjoyed riding this bike here.
“We improved braking and cornering speed, but I have the impression 🦹that we are always lagging behind in making progress.
“Starting so far back is difficul𒈔t, but I see potential."
The victory of Rins, taking advantage and holding his nerve after Francesco Bagnaia’s unforced crash, came on the LCR Honda bike and should act as motivat✤ed for Repsol Honda’s hopes.
Marquez, their star man, hopes to return from a hand injury next weekend at the Spanish MotoGP to begin chipping aw🗹ay at a 57-point def🌳icit to the championship-leader Marco Bezzecchi.
Mir has failed to finish three races across the first three r🎐ounds, a less than ideal start to Honda life after moving, alongside Rins, from Suzuki, and missed Argentina due to injury.
But Alberto Puig, Honda team manager, has backed the 2020 w🉐orld champion to replicate the form shown by Rins.
“We at HRC believe that his potential is at least equal to that of Rins♈, because they raced together in the same team for many years and you saw the results,” Puig said.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from Americanﷺ sporꦇts, to football, to F1.
