MotoGP Austria: Joan Mir ‘really close’ to 2023 MotoGP deal, ‘news soon’

Rumoured since news broke of Suzuki’s shock MotoGP withdraw, there is still no official confirmation that Joan Mir will be a Repsol Honda rider in 2023.
Pol Espargaro, Joan Mir, MotoGP, Qartar MotoGP 25 March
Pol Espargaro, Joan Mir, MotoGP, Qartar MotoGP 25 March

The former world champion, whose team-mate Alex Rins signed for LCR 🌳Honda during the summer break, admits the ongoing uncertainty isn’t helping his on-track results.

Mir has scored just 33 out of a possible 200 points since Suzuki dropped its exit bombshell at Jerez, leaving him twelfth in the standings - and still withoꦡut a podium - heading into th🌊is weekend’s Austrian round.

“I'm trying to do 100% in the situation that we are l♈iving, it’s not easy,” Mir said. “We are not crossing through a good moment as a team, and it’s probably affecting [the 🤪results] a little bit.

“Nobody [in the team] knows where they will be. Nobody knows about t🤪heir future,” he added. “The mechanics want to know where you will go, to maybe go with you or not. There's a lot of th൩ings that you don't have to think [about] in a normal year.

“You can imagine… It’s difficult, but we are professionals and we give 1💃00%.” Nonetheless, “Mentally also, a good result will give an extra pꦇush to us all.”

Joan Mir, MotoGP, British MotoGP, 6 August
Joan Mir, MotoGP, British MotoGP, 6 August

The good news is that Mir’s future should be✅ officially decided shortly.

“I think we are really close, we are closer than yesterday!” he smiled. “And I think that we will haveꦚ news soon about it.”

Current Repsol Honda rid▨er Pol Espargaro is expected to be confirmed as returning to KTM, via Tech3, this weekend.

Asked if he would like to take any of his Suzuki crew with him, Mir – careful to avoid any mention of Repsol Honda – highlighted that it🃏’s a complex issue since it would mean replacing staff currently working for his future team:

“I don't want to destroy a team. It's important, where I will go [in 2023], to understand what they want to do, the guys that are there [now]. And try t♋o understand if some Suzuki people can come, because they don't have jobs.

“It's not that I wa𒐪nt to bring my team to another place, because there are people already there.”

Read More