But the year ended with optimism in ꧋the form of a radically revised RC213V prototype handed to the Spaniard for the Valencia test.

Although 13th on the timesheets (+0.798s), Suzuki’s 2020 world champion had stuck with used tyres throughout and was testing without the𒈔 benefit of race weekend knowledge, due to a neck injury in Friday practice.

But for the first time since clim𒊎bing onto the Honda a year ago, M🀅ir said clear progress.

“Honestly, I'm very happy. It's the first time I'm able to feel a difference since I arrived [at Honda]. That something r🃏eally works better,” Mir said.

“With all the wind, it is sometimes difficult to make a proper comparison. But even with this wind, straight away I was able to feel an improvement an🌸d that honestly is very g🍎ood.

“Then in the last part o♐f the day, we focused on trying to make a set up, trying some things in the front part of the bike.

“We didn't do a proper time attack, we just made our day as best we could and there was not enough time to fit everything in. But we have to be happy with the lap tim♉es and the pace.

“With used tyres, being in ‘30 low is something that makes me🤪 happy. Because it's the lap time that you have to do to be in front. So it's fan👍tastic.”

So how has the 2024 Honda prototype improved over a 2023 machine that finished last in the constructors’ standings and no higher 🦋than 14th in the riders’ championship, with Mir’s former team-mate M🔯arc Marquez?

The weight

“What I was able to feel [st🎃raight away] is that the bike is lighter,” Mir said.

“So it stops a littl✅e b🍎it better, you stress the same [under hard braking] but now you are braking in a different point.

“It helps a little b🔯it also on the turning side… It helps everything that can be improved with a lighter bike. So that is just an advantage.”

The grip

“It looks like the grip, which is something that we complained about during all the year, is better,” Mirℱ said, who indicated that a revised engine character was helping the grip.

The wheelbase

“We tried some things on the set-up, moving the [balance of the] bike. The bike if you s♊ee is a little bit bigger than the one before.”

The previous trend was for the Japanese MotoGP bikes to be short and tall, while the European machines (Ducati, Aprilia, KTM) are long and ༺low.

The front end

“I was able to have a better feeling, a better feedback on the front. It's only the first test, but it's true that [Valencia] is a track where you request a𒆙 lot of the front.”

What’s next?

Due to the꧑ improved grip, Mir now feels the traction control electronics can be tuned to put more control b🌃ack into the hands of the riders.

“The type of electronics that we had this year, I think we can do something with🍌 [for the future],” M🌼ir said.

“It💮’s one of the things that I request for Sepangꦑ [test, in February]. There's margin to do that now that the grip is a little bit better [from the engine].

“If we have more control in the hands [of the rider🎀s] it’s an advantage. It’s what I wa🌃s doing with the Suzuki and at the end of the races, I was able always to be strong for this, not just trusting in the electronics.

“So we are wꦿorking on that with the used tyres, which is the proper thing to do. We made some steps and, yeah, I am able to see a reaction inside the box.”

Mir has swapped sides in the Repsol Honda garage and will be working with Marc Marquez’s former crew, headed🌳 by Santi H🔜ernandez, in 2024. New team-mate Luca Marini will work with Mir’s former crew chief Giacomo Guidotti.

As part of the new concessions ranking system, Honda and Yamaha race riders will be el🌜igible to take part in the Sepang Shakedown test, before the official test.