Why Mir's MotoGP title defence can’t be written off yet
Joan Mir’s defence of his MotoGP title has had an underwhelming start as Suzuki didn’t progress its championship-winning GSX-RR as much as its rivals did with their bikes over the winter. Speaking to Autosport, Mir lays out why his title defence has been stalled so far and why he’s confident title number two is still within reach
Autosport has been lucky enough to sit down one-on-one with MotoGP world champion Joan Mir on three occasions since he wrapped up the 2020 title back in early November. And on each occasion, he’s always been in fine form. The latest was no exception, despite fielding a fairly tough set of questions about a 2021 season that has so far been – as he put it – “under expectations”.
Mir’s not a typical world champion. He made this obvious immediately after his title win in Valencia last year, when he batted away questions about the pressure he felt being nothing compared to the ordinary person struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic. And even through the numerous awards and increased media attention, Mir’s profile remains fairly humble when you consider his achievements.
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