‘Angry’ MotoGP champion shreds Honda for test fail

MotoGP champion Joan Mir has voiced his frustration with Honda after the post-season test in Spain, criticizing the Japanese manufacturer for failing to deliver any significant upgrades for the RC213V. The factory Honda rider, who had high hopes for a major step forward with the bike, found himself testing parts he had already ridden before, leaving him “angry” and disappointed.

Mir, who finished 15th in the test, 1.2 seconds off the pace of Gresini’s Alex Marquez, expressed his dissatisfaction with the lack of new development. “The reality is that I didn’t have a lot of things to test, I had already tested everything before,” Mir said. “You expect more from a test as important as this one… How can I not be angry?”

Honda’s performance in 2024 was dismal, with the manufacturer finishing last of the five teams with just 75 points. In stark contrast, Ducati dominated the season, winning nearly every race and scoring 722 points. Mir’s frustration is compounded by the fact that he and his teammate Luca Marini finished 21st and 22nd in the championship standings, trailing behind the riders from the Honda customer team, LCR, including Johann Zarco and Takaaki Nakagami.

The lack of progress and the absence of new parts to test leaves Mir questioning Honda’s trajectory for 2025. He added, “We are still in the same situation as we were, far away… I was hoping for something more to improve the project… It’s not a good time to take stock, I’ve done 70 laps with things I’ve tested at least twice.”

The test results are particularly concerning given the critical nature of the end-of-season test for both Honda and its riders, who are desperate for improvements to remain competitive. With Yamaha also developing a new V4 engine, the gap between Honda and its rivals could grow even wider, leaving little optimism for a quick turnaround in the 2025 season.

Adding to the bleak outlook, Honda will lose its long-standing Repsol sponsorship in 2025, further highlighting the challenges the manufacturer faces in the upcoming seasons. Mir’s frustrations reflect the growing pressure on Honda to make significant strides to regain its competitive edge in MotoGP.