Title-winning Valencia MotoGP race was a "nightmare" – Mir
Suzuki's Joan Mir said he struggled more than at any other MotoGP race in 2020 during a "nightmare" Valencia Grand Prix, despite securing a maiden premier class crown
Mir finished the penultimate round of the campaign in a safe seventh position having started from 12th, which was enough to secure him the MotoGP title and Suzuki's first since 2000.
Despite securing his maiden MotoGP victory in the European GP at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit last week, Mir admits he "suffered a lot" in Sunday's race and can't explain why.
"This race was a nightmare," Mir admitted.
"This race I struggled more than [any other race] all the season. It's a strange one to understand the situation because I don't know.
- Mir takes the title
- Report: Mir crowned champion as Morbidelli wins last-lap thriller
- Mir 'can't believe' 2020 MotoGP title win
- Title not devalued by Marquez absence - Mir
"I don't care about the race, we got the title. But it's true that I suffered a lot.
"I had a lot of big moments during the race with front and I was not able to ride comfortably that I normally use to ride. But we will work for it for the future."
Mir's title success makes him the sixth rider in premier class history to win the championship on a Suzuki, doing so on the marque's 100th anniversary and the 60th of its racing history.
Suzuki only returned to MotoGP full-time in 2015, following a hiatus from 2011-2014, and Mir said he didn't expect to be able to challenge for the title in only his second MotoGP campaign.
But for this reason, he feels winning the title means something more than it would with another manufacturer.
When asked what it meant to end Suzuki's long wait, he said: "For me this was the reason to sign with Suzuki.
"For me to of course win a title with every [any] manufacturer is unbelievable, it's the target.
"But I was quite brave in that moment to go with Suzuki because I didn't expect this potential on the bike in second year.
"But was like this. To get a title with Suzuki means something more than normal."
Mir joins Barry Sheene, Marco Lucchinelli, Franco Uncini, Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jr as the only Suzuki premier class world champions.
Morbidelli hails "best race in MotoGP" after Valencia GP win
Miller hails "unreal" MotoGP podium return at Valencia GP
Espargaro diagnosed with heel fracture after 115mph Silverstone MotoGP crash
Aprilia has confirmed Aleix Espargaro, following further medical checks on Monday, has been diagnosed with a heel fracture following his violent 115mph Silverstone MotoGP crash.
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
MotoGP announces 2023 pre-season test dates
MotoGP has announced the provisional dates for 2023 pre-season testing, with three days in Malaysia in February followed by two in Portugal in mid-March.
Vinales “never” doubted Aprilia MotoGP move following Silverstone podium
Maverick Vinales says he “never” doubted his move to Aprilia from Yamaha would pay off after he scored his second-successive podium of 2022 in the MotoGP British Grand Prix.
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