Mir Believes Honda Is Closing In on MotoGP Podium

Joan Mir believes Honda is now only one step away from fighting for a genuine MotoGP podium after delivering a competitive performance in the French MotoGP sprint at Le Mans. The Honda rider finished sixth and stressed that the result was achieved through pure pace rather than benefiting from crashes ahead.

Mir maintained strong consistency throughout the 13-lap sprint at Le Mans and was able to stay competitive with the leading group. Compared to previous rounds, the RC213V appeared significantly more stable, particularly in rear grip management and braking stability through the faster sectors.

According to Mir, the result at Le Mans shows Honda is finally moving in the right direction after a difficult start to the season. He believes the sixth-place finish provides important validation because it came through direct racing performance against the front-running manufacturers.

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“We have to be very happy because we were able to finish in this position without anything happening in front,” Mir told MotoGP.com.

“It was a very solid P6, fighting with riders that I really enjoyed battling with.”

The Spanish rider also referred to the multiple crashes he suffered earlier in the season while trying to maximise Honda’s potential with an underperforming package. According to Mir, Honda now appears to have much better control over the bike’s behaviour compared to the opening races.

“It is true that in the past we have been in this position many times, but we could not finish the race. Now it looks like we are making progress and getting everything a bit more under control,” he added.

Despite the improvement, Mir admitted Honda still has major weaknesses in traction performance on corner exits. He explained that he still needs to take significant risks in order to maintain pace against Ducati, Aprilia, and KTM riders.

“I still have to take a lot of risks because our traction is very poor. But we will continue working and try to make another step to fight for a real podium, not because other riders are missing or crashing,” said Mir.

Honda’s performance at Le Mans also represents another encouraging sign after recent progress with the RC213V package. Last season, Mir and Johann Zarco both secured podiums for Honda under specific conditions, while Honda’s best result so far in 2026 remains Luca Marini’s fifth place in the COTA sprint race.

Honda’s most recent victory came at Le Mans last year when Zarco claimed an emotional wet-weather win in front of his home crowd. With further rain forecast for Sunday’s grand prix, Honda could once again emerge as a serious contender if conditions become unpredictable.

The Le Mans sprint result now provides renewed optimism for Honda’s MotoGP project as the manufacturer continues rebuilding its technical foundations ahead of the major regulation changes scheduled for 2027.