Joan Mir has defended his aggressive approach after another season filled with crashes, insisting he knows how to ride without falling but believes taking risks is necessary to extract the maximum from Honda’s RC213V.
The 2020 MotoGP world champion has recorded 16 crashes so far this season, the joint-highest total on the grid alongside Jorge Martin. Mir also suffered 22 crashes in 2025.
Speaking at the Aragon Grand Prix, Mir said there was no single reason behind his high number of falls. Some incidents were caused by contact or circumstances beyond his control, while others came from pushing beyond the bike’s limits.
Mir pointed to the difference between racing at the front and fighting further down the order. He believes starting higher on the grid would naturally reduce the amount of risk required during a race.
“The way of racing at the front is very different from how you compete at the back,” Mir explained. “What you have to try to do is be further forward.”
However, he admitted some of his crashes have also come from taking unnecessary risks and trying to extract more performance than the bike can deliver.
“Many crashes come from trying to find more from the bike than there really is,” he said.
For Mir, the situation is particularly difficult because Honda has not consistently provided him with a package capable of fighting near the front. That has increased his desire to make the most of every opportunity when he finds himself in a competitive position.
The Spaniard said his lack of consistent results has actually made him more determined rather than discouraged.
“I have to take advantage of any opportunity to get a good result, because I don't know when another opportunity will come,” Mir said.
Source: Honda Racing
That mentality has placed him in contrast with Honda team-mate Luca Marini, who has experienced far fewer crashes since joining the manufacturer in 2024. Marini has fallen just 13 times in 51 grands prix with Honda, with only three of those crashes occurring during races.
Mir acknowledged that he is capable of taking a more conservative approach, but does not believe that should become his priority.
“I also know how to ride the other way, without crashing,” he said. “If you have the speed, going slower is very easy. But if you don't have it, going faster is the difficult thing.”
Instead, Mir believes he must continue searching for improvements rather than become comfortable with simply bringing the bike home.
“Never settle,” he added.
The Spaniard admitted that this mindset can be mentally difficult, particularly because he knows what it feels like to win. Mir became MotoGP world champion with Suzuki in 2020, and his struggles at Honda have made it difficult to accept fighting outside the positions he believes he is capable of reaching.
Still, his ambition has returned after previously admitting to having doubts about his future in MotoGP.
Mir will leave Honda at the end of the 2026 season and join Gresini Racing for 2027, where he will ride a Ducati. The move gives the former world champion a fresh opportunity to rediscover the form that made him a MotoGP title winner.
