Former MotoGP world champion Joan Mir has revealed he made the decision to leave Honda earlier than many expected after growing frustrated with the team’s continued struggles in MotoGP.
Mir admitted the turning point came when he realized the project was no longer progressing in the direction he had hoped. After joining Honda following Suzuki’s MotoGP exit, the Spaniard initially believed he could help rebuild the manufacturer into a competitive force again. Instead, he found himself battling inconsistent performance, crashes, and a lack of results.
The 2020 world champion explained that the decision became clearer as the season unfolded and the bike continued to show the same weaknesses. Despite Honda’s efforts behind the scenes, Mir felt the situation was no longer improving quickly enough to match his ambitions.
Source: Thairath English
Since arriving at Honda, Mir has endured one of the toughest periods of his premier-class career. Injuries, repeated retirements, and limited competitiveness have prevented him from regularly fighting near the front, a stark contrast to the success he enjoyed during his title-winning years with Suzuki.
Honda’s wider struggles in recent seasons have also added to the challenge. The manufacturer has fallen behind rivals such as Ducati, KTM, and Aprilia, with several riders publicly acknowledging the difficulties of adapting to the RC213V.
Mir stressed that his decision was not based on a single incident, but rather a gradual realization that he needed a different environment to rediscover his confidence and competitiveness. He also acknowledged that mentally, the constant setbacks had become increasingly difficult to manage.
Although his future destination has yet to be officially confirmed, Mir’s departure is expected to trigger further movement in the MotoGP rider market as teams prepare for the next phase of the championship’s evolving grid.
For Honda, losing another high-profile rider would represent another blow during a rebuilding period that has already seen major technical and organizational changes in an effort to return to the front of MotoGP competition.
