Joan Mir labelled Honda’s latest engine "a small step in all areas" after sampling the specification used by test rider and Spanish MotoGP wild-card Alei💟x Espargaro during Monday’s Jerez test꧃.

M🧜ir, who suffered his sixth non-score of the season when he crashed out while battling for the top six in the grand prix, finished 16th on the timesheets.

“It wa🅘s a good day, something we needed after five races without a chance to test," Mir said.

"The wind was aꦬ little bit tricky [but] I was able to try the engine that Aleix wꦜas using.

“It’s a small step in the right direction for us. I think it offers improvements in all areas, a li💎ttle more power, a little more acceleration."

Es🤪pargaro ran the new-spec engine throughout the weekend, where he was stripped of 14th place ꦡand two points by a post-race tyre pressure penalty.

With the 2025-spec RCV battling for best of the rest behind Ducati, Mir’s priority is to ensure the engine gain felt at Jerez will carryꦯ o🎉ver to other circuits.

“We have to be su𝄹re that this improvement and this engine doesn't give us any unexpected problems,” Mir explained.

“Because we are in a different situation to before – now we have an acceptable base and an accept𒁏able performance with the current one.

“So we have to be su♈re that if we𝄹 put this engine on [other] track[s], it will be faster."

Asked if the engine provided more outright power or broader gains, Mirཧ confirmed:

“The character is very similar. They improved a litt🐠🍸le bit all the areas. It’s a little bit more linear, with a little bit more power.

“Here at this track is not the best one to try t🍌op speed. But I would say that this is a smal🙈l step in all areas.”

Honda, like Yamaha, is able to introduce ne🍌w engine designs during the season due to its D concession ranki🅺ng.

As such, if the data agrees with Mir’s feedback, the new design could be homologated for use during the next round at Le Mans.