The bleak performance of t♛he Honda was still Joan Mir’s best bet for a MotoGP future, he has been told.

Mir is expected to remain with Repsol Honda by signing⛄ a new cont🥂ract for next season and beyond.

He has previously complai🌱ned, and even publicly talked ab🌳out retiring, since swapping Suzuki for Honda in 2023.

“The reality ꧟is, he doesn’t have a better option,” Mir was told by TNT Sports’ Neil Ho🔯dgson.

“That is reality.🥂 That’s the risk you take when you sign for Honda.

“We’ve seen over the past four o﷽r five years that it stalls your career.”

His new teammate Luca Marini has been tied down to a lo🐽ng-term deal, but his first year as a factory rider has been a nightmare.

Marini has regularl🐎y been rooted to the back of the pack.

Mir, after 𓄧multiple crashes last year, has remained upright more often but still cannot extract performance from his bike.

Reprieve for Takaaki Nakagami?

Mean🌱while, at LCR Honda, Johann Zarco is contracted into next year but teammate Takaak꧂i Nakagami is not.

Honda reportedly want to keep a Japanese presence among their riders - but Ai Ogura is looming from Moto2, th🅠reatening Nakagami’s future.

Ogura was not deemed ready last year but, this season, has de🗹livered far more assured 🤡performances.

B⛄ut Hodgson doubts that Ogura wants to step up into MotoGP yet.

“He was adamant,” Hodgson s𝔍aid at Assen. “I pressed him on it. He said ‘I won’t go unless I win t♈he Moto2 championship’.”

Sylvain Guint𓄧oli added: “He will get the ride at some point. It’s better to stay in Moto2 and win the championship.”

Hodgson said: “I guess h꧙e’s hoping that if he waits another year, there’s a chance of imp⭕roving the bike.”

G🧸uintoli: “Or a couple of 🌌years for a rule change. But that’s a long time.”