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”
2022 MotoGP title fight now “very tight”, says Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro believes the current MotoGP championship picture following the British Grand Prix has set up “a very, very tight” title battle.
Pol Espargaro doesn’t think Honda is reacting to MotoGP woes
Pol Espargaro isn’t sure the problems Honda is facing at races in MotoGP this season are being relayed back to Japan as “we’re not getting the material we need”.
Marc Marquez to return to MotoGP paddock at Austrian GP for Honda progress update
Marc Marquez will return to the MotoGP paddock at the Austrian Grand Prix to check up on Honda’s progress as he continues his own rehabilitation.
Rins “destroyed” after “not normal” grip issues end Silverstone MotoGP win hopes
Suzuki’s Alex Rins says he was “destroyed” after a “not normal” drop in grip shuffled him from the lead of the MotoGP British Grand Prix to seventh by the end.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
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