Mir has “one beautiful chance” to lead Honda MotoGP team in 2024

The 2020 world champion endured a horrid first year on the Honda in 2023, finishing with just 26 points in a campaign plagued by injury – and admitted at one stage that he did think about quitting.

Mir’s best result came in India when he was fifth during one of Honda’s most competitive rounds of the season.

With Marc Marquez moving to Gresini Ducati next year, Mir becomes de facto team leader at Honda and believes “we can do a good job” if Honda “listens to me” in terms of development feedback.

“It’s true that at the end of the season, more than feeling motivation for next year, the thing that I want more is to finish and go to sleep after a season as this one,” he said when asked by Autosport if he felt more motivated for 2024 now he is team leader at Honda.

“But I think inside of me we have one beautiful chance next season being able to decide a bit more [the direction of development], because the new rider, they [Luca Marini]… as me last year, I was not able to make any comparison between this year’s bike and last year’s bike.

“They will be the same, they will try next year’s bike.

Photo by: Repsol Media

Joan Mir, Repsol Honda Team

“So, now I will have the opportunity to give more of an opinion, to understand the areas that I think are the correct direction, in what areas it’s not.

“And if they listen to me I think that we can do a good job.”

Former VR46 Ducati rider Marini was announced by Honda as Marquez’s replacement on the Monday following the Valencia Grand Prix, with the Italian penning a two-year deal.

Both he and Mir rode the latest 2024 prototype during the post-season Valencia test, with the latter noting it was the first time Honda had brought anything that had actually worked since he joined the marque.

A report in El Periodico last week revealed that Honda had been able to shave eight kilograms off the weight of its RC213V, which has helped, among other updates, improve the overall handling of the bike.