Consistent Mir: I'm starting to race like I did in 2020

The 2020 World Champion has steadily gone about his business so far in 2022 but heading to Europe, Mir is oozing confidence

2022 has been a steady and consistent season so far for 2020 World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). The Spaniard has quietly gone about his business and despite missing out on a podium finish in the opening four rounds, Mir sits P4 in the MotoGP™ World Championship heading into the all-important European leg.

Joan Mir, Team Suzuki Ecstar, Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas

Consecutive fourth place finishes in Argentina and Austin have been an improvement on his pair of P6s in Qatar’s season opener and Mandalika’s wet weather encounter. P4s and P6s are obviously not the results Mir comes into weekends looking for, but with such a rollercoaster campaign unfolding, where any manufacturer can win and so many riders are capable of claiming a 25-point haul on any given Sunday, finishing consistently up the sharp end is arguably more important than ever. Consistency is exactly what the number 36 produced in his title-winning campaign.

Ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix, a rollercoaster in its own right, Mir is only 15 points shy of double 2022 race winner and current overall standings leader Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). After Austin’s race had ended, Mir’s Crew Chief, Frankie Carchedi, expressed that his rider’s showing at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas was one of the best of his career.

“Well, considering that this is a track that during the weekend I didn't say because I want to be optimistic and negative comments don't help. But this track is just different than the others, and I don't enjoy riding on this track,” responded Mir. “And also, this is a track that, when you don't enjoy riding, you always miss something, no?

“So to be able to finish here in fourth position is something great, it means that we are doing steps forward, positive ones. We came from the back, that the last part of the race was positive. And step by step I was overtaking and I was feeling great. So [I’m] pleased how everything is going, fourth position is always a position that you don't want to finish in, it's better either fifth or third [laughs] but anyway, it's great.”

The Circuit of The Americas is a notoriously tricky and technical layout. It’s demanding on both bike and rider, physically and mentally, so it’s no surprise that Mir was pleased with his outing on a track he doesn’t enjoy. Now, heading back to European soil, Mir is upbeat and feeling good about his prospects of mounting another title assault – it’s just about finding that “click”, and Europe seems to be where the hidden treasure is for the 24-year-old.

“I think in Europe we will make that click that we are missing at the moment. In Argentina we've done a really good race, in Mandalika in the wet also. Qatar we saw that we were missing something. But the truth is that from Qatar until now, I feel a lot better. We start to make races like in 2020, from less to more, and trying to give the 100% of the potential of our bike. So let's continue like that. I think that this year if we are focused and we are able to make that next click that with this bike I feel like we can do it, we will fight again for good positions at the end of the season I'm sure.”

But if there’s one area he and Suzuki still need to improve on, it’s qualifying. It’s quite the stat that Mir has only qualified on the front row once in his MotoGP™ career. His best this year is P8 on a Saturday afternoon, achieved three times in Qatar, Argentina and America, and with qualifying now more crucial than ever, more steps forward need to be made.

“The qualifying is something that we have to improve, we have to put it all together and make it better. It's true that if the pace is better, our lap time will be better. So we are not far. Yesterday, there were five Ducatis in front of us, but then not so many other manufacturers in front. So we are improving,” explained the double World Champion.

With teammate Alex Rins second in the Championship standings, Team Suzuki Ecstar stand in very good stead after the opening four rounds. If that final “click” can be found in Europe, you can expect Mir to be standing on podiums very soon. The 2020 World Champion is sounding confident – and as we know, a confident Mir is ferociously fast. 

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