After seasons where hope seemed as rare as gold, Honda resurrected in Buriram, emerging with renewed energy. Joan Mir, proudly wearing his number 36, sliced through the Thai sky with a time of 1'29.399, moving up to sixth overall, the only one from the golden-winged marque to crack the top 10, half a second behind time trial king Marc Marquez.
Joan mir completed pre-season testing at Buriram with a sense of satisfaction. The Spanish driver showed real progress on the Honda RC213V and says he is ready to start the season with new ambitions.
Honda completed pre-season testing at Buriram on a positive note, with a sense of hope restored after several difficult seasons. Joan Mir, in particular, was the brand's best performing driver, setting the sixth best time overall with a time of 1'29.399, just half a second off the best time of Marc Marquez. But beyond time, what really mattered to Mir, these are the sensations found on the RC213V, a bike that he had struggled to master in recent seasons.
« The truth is that I am very happy. I could have maybe improved my time a little bit, but I'm staying with the feeling, the Sprint pace and all the work we've done. ", said Mir, visibly satisfied with the progress made with his team. After a difficult day on Wednesday, where technical problems had prevented him from following his program, the team reacted positively, as the Majorcan pointed out: " we took a lot of things out of the way and everything was much more precise. We were able to better assess what really works »
To Mir, it's not just a question of the stopwatch, but of finding a lost feeling with the bike. I'm starting to feel comfortable again, to handle the bike the way I want. I can now brake hard and enter corners sideways, the way I like. I found sensations that I had not had for a long time., and this allows me to be fast " he added enthusiastically.
Joan Mir: “ The team is better managed than in previous years »
This version of the RC213V is, according to him, the best he has driven since arriving at Honda in 2023. Yes, definitely. Not because of this day in particular, but because of the package in general. The bike has improved a lot in recent years. »
Mir also highlighted the improvement in the team's organization, a key factor in the current progression. I think the team is better managed than in previous years. We have significantly strengthened the testing team and it is now working well. ", he stressed. A major change was the arrival of Roman Albesian, which facilitated communication with Japanese engineers. His role in the box helps a lot. He has integrated very well with the Japanese and it is noticeable. ", has explained Mir.
The Spanish driver insisted that the good results obtained are not the result of chance. What happened here is not magic. We have solved some problems in the pits and it is starting to give us results. I am sure that this work will benefit us throughout the season. ", he concluded, confident for the future of HondaThese advances, although still in their infancy, show that the Japanese brand could well regain its competitiveness in 2025, with a better prepared team and a constantly improving bike.
MotoGP, Buriram Test J2 Final: times
