Joan Mir has questioned whether Johann Zarco’s strong result at the 2026 Spanish MotoGP truly reflects the progress of Honda. Although Zarco finished seventh for LCR Honda after starting from second on the grid, Mir believes the result was influenced more by race circumstances than outright RC213V performance.
Honda entered the 2026 season with higher expectations after signs of resurgence during the latter stages of the previous campaign. Zarco claimed victory at the wet French Grand Prix in 2025, while Mir secured two podium finishes for the factory team late in the year. However, that momentum has not translated consistently into the current season.
At Jerez, Zarco finished over 13 seconds behind race winner Alex Marquez on the Gresini Racing Ducati. Meanwhile, the next-best Honda was Luca Marini in 13th place with a damaged bike. The gap highlighted Honda’s continuing dependence on favourable race conditions rather than consistent pace.
“I’m happy for Johann, but we know everyone’s pace here is very similar.”
“If you start at the front, you can manage things slightly and still finish seventh.”
Mir argued that Zarco’s strong grid position allowed him to avoid midfield traffic early in the race. However, according to the 2020 MotoGP world champion, the RC213V still lacks the fundamental pace required to sustain competitiveness over full race distance.
“If the race had lasted five more laps, I would probably have finished around 10th. Ten more laps, maybe 15th.”
“If you push harder, you end up crashing, which is what has happened to us lately.”
Technically, Mir’s comments suggest Honda continues to struggle with rear grip and long-run stability. These limitations affect tyre degradation management and prevent riders from maintaining consistent pace compared to Ducati and Aprilia rivals.
Mir himself finally recorded his first grand prix finish of the season in 15th place after several difficult weekends and crashes. However, his race was also compromised by two long lap penalties following a black-and-orange flag infringement during practice.
As MotoGP enters a critical phase of the European season, Honda remains under pressure to accelerate development of the RC213V. While the Jerez result may provide some encouragement, internal assessment indicates the Japanese manufacturer still lacks the outright competitiveness of its leading rivals.
Baca Juga
Johann Zarco memimpin sesi Practice MotoGP Prancis dengan selisih tipis, sementara Marc Marquez terpaksa masuk Q1 setelah terhambat bendera kuning.
Johann Zarco memimpin sesi latihan Jumat MotoGP Prancis di Le Mans, sementara Marc Marquez harus puas di posisi 13 yang mengirimnya ke kualifikasi Q1.
Johann Zarco dijatuhi denda 1.000 Euro oleh Stewards FIM akibat pelanggaran prosedur practice start yang dianggap berbahaya pada sesi latihan MotoGP Prancis.
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