Mir “missing a lot” in Qatar MotoGP qualifying
Reigning MotoGP world champion Joan Mir says he was “missing a lot” in Qatar Grand Prix qualifying but is “confident” of being able to recover from 10th on the grid.
Mir ended Friday “very pissed off” after missing a place in Q2, with suboptimal track conditions on Saturday in FP3 resigning the defending champion to running in Q1.
The Suzuki rider managed to progress into Q2, but could only manage 10th and almost a second slower than poleman Francesco Bagnaia's Ducati.
Explaining his issues, Mir said: “I’m not happy about the qualifying.
“We still missing a lot, I try as hard as I try, it was the situation. I’m not happy but I am confident that tomorrow we will make a great race and also, I think we start in worse positions.
“I was struggling a lot all weekend to stop the bike. I’m really on the limit on brakes and going into the corners.
“I think that first we have to fix that. And then if you look at the lap times of everybody, I think that… well, first I was not really consistent on my lap times because I was making one sector good, then the other one not because I was overtrying.
Joan Mir, Team Suzuki MotoGP
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“I was too aggressive probably and this made everything a lot worse. The ideal lap time is a lot better, it’s something that we can start from that lap time, not as far as we are now.
“That is not probably the real situation. But we still missing a couple of tenths."
Mir cited the "unbelievable" straightline speed of the Ducati - the Italian marque breaking the all-time MotoGP speed record in FP4 when Pramac rider Johann Zarco was clocked at 364.4km/h - and estimates that it was worth "probably took three, four tenths" in qualifying trim.
“But realistically I think the 1m54s lows, this is what we have to do [in the race]," Mir added.
“So, I’m not happy because I didn’t make 100% of the bike today. I tried so much and I was not able to do it great.”
Mir also noted his qualifying was complicated further by being unable to do more than one flying lap on a front tyre, which he blames on not having “everything on point” with the Suzuki.
Following qualifying, Mir was handed a fine 1000 euro fine for exiting pitlane at the start of Q1 before the session was given the green light – which is deemed by the rule book as gaining an advantage and resulted in him losing his first Q1 lap time.
Related video
MotoGP Qatar: Bagnaia blitzes lap record for maiden pole
Quartararo: “Story” of Yamaha being easy MotoGP bike “finished”
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022