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A yr on from Marc Marquez’s spectacularly rotten German Grand Prix weekend set in movement the chain of occasions that finally led to his exit from Honda, its new lead MotoGP rider evoked a powerful sense of deja vu.
Marquez crashed a scarcely-believable 5 instances throughout final yr’s Sachsenring spherical, finally withdrawing forward of the race – but it surely was the sight of him saving a second on Friday after which ‘flipping the fowl’ in his Honda RC213V’s common path that stood as maybe the very best visible illustration of his weekend.
Now, again on the Sachsenring within the following season, a Friday crash for Joan Mir triggered a likewise-broadcast second of rage within the gravel lure in direction of the brand new however not-much-improved RC213V.
Mir is, after all, not the form of talismanic rider Marquez had been for Honda, however has a powerful declare to being its standout rider proper now. Whereas Johann Zarco has been the Honda camp’s greatest qualifier, Mir has been its handiest operator in races – which is why he is the highest Honda rider within the standings, regardless of his frequent crashing.
He’s additionally on the verge of signing a contract extension with the model – however on Friday he struggled to cover his irritation.
“The factor that pissed me off lots is… I am struggling there, I say this to the engineers and every thing. We’re shedding 1-1.5s per lap by way of tempo, and then you definately crash. How is that doable?” he vented when requested by The Race about his response after the autumn.
Frustration on show 😤@JoanMirOfficial hits the deck however with no penalties 👍#GermanGP 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/tSutKE9spV
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) July 5, 2024
“And one crash, and one other one. I crashed there [at Turn 1] however I had a number of actions [of the tyre] right this moment and a number of [other] moments that I may find yourself [crashing] into the bottom.
“I used to be very indignant. I am nonetheless very indignant with the state of affairs. However let’s examine if tomorrow they may give me a bundle that I will get pleasure from a bit.”
Mir, the slowest in Friday’s second session at 2.225s off ultimately, admitted he had successfully thrown within the towel on the hour-long observe after the crash.
This was as a result of his different bike had a special set-up – one he and the workforce had hoped would swimsuit the Sachsenring however was rapidly discovered missing. It was, he mentioned, “unrideable” – and thus he did not consider a time assault run on it will be well worth the threat.
“Like that is how we’ll make progress, not doing silly issues.”
When requested concerning the Honda’s turning issues, he mentioned: “And Flip 1 is a flip that you simply brake for! So think about the turns that you do not brake.
“And right here you could have all of the turns, kind of all of the turns- there’s 1, 3 and 12, however all the remainder is closing the throttle and carrying velocity. [But] you possibly can’t carry the velocity. [So] what the hell do you need to do? You possibly can’t do something.”
For all of Mir’s newfound standing as one thing near Honda’s standard-bearer, he has not been a cheerful determine in most post-race debriefs this yr, struggling to complete races and to stability the danger/reward of a motorcycle that’s merely not aggressive proper now.
However he made it clear, when requested by The Race, that his Friday angst did not imply something had modified in his pondering for 2025.
“No. At some point does not change the mentality.
“However we are going to work for tomorrow and we are going to attempt to be within the place that we have been within the first a part of the season, in all of the races. Simply right this moment, I do not know what occurred, actually.”
In reality, it’s tough to consider that Mir – with a while to mirror – will understand this Friday as all that a lot worse than a number of the different dour days he is already had in 2024.
However the distinction can also be that in contrast to Marquez – regardless of being a free agent when Marquez wasn’t – he isn’t able to dictate his future.
But additionally, whereas Marquez has had his good days – numerous good days – on the Honda, the payoff for Mir’s struggles is but to return. He certainly wouldn’t be on the verge of placing pen to paper on one other deal if he did not consider they will come, even when days like this Friday should check the religion one thing fierce.
