Joan Mir suffered a fracture to his right hand and experienced neck pain following a crash at the first chicane during the Le Mans Grand Prix, resulting in his seventh Did Not Finish (DNF) of the season. Despite these injuries, the 2020 world champion has maintained his training routine as he prepares for this weekend’s British MotoGP at Silverstone, demonstrating determination to regain competitive form.
Injury Assessment and Training Progress
Mir has been topping the falls chart this season with nine crashes during grand prix weekends, yet he remains focused on transforming his evident speed into positive race outcomes. Recent medical evaluations have shown stability in his condition, allowing him to continue training with minimal alterations. The rider has worked extensively with his physiotherapist, particularly addressing his neck discomfort, which has shown notable improvement.
“We went for some more checks between the races and everything is looking OK,”
Mir stated.
“There is some damage in the top of the finger, but I have been able to continue training and preparing more or less as normal. I worked a lot with my physio on the neck, and we have also made progress there.”
The plan and situation for the weekend doesn’t change, we showed that in Le Mans we have speed and just need a bit of luck and to get back into Q2 to avoid anything in the opening laps. Let’s get to it.
—Joan Mir, MotoGP Rider
Team Honda’s Current Form and Teammates’ Performances
At Le Mans, Honda rider Johann Zarco secured the brand’s first victory since 2023 by capitalizing on wet conditions, while Mir’s teammate Luca Marini faced difficulties, finishing in eleventh place after unfavorable bike swaps during the race. Despite this result, Marini stands as the only Honda rider to have scored points in every Sunday grand prix race so far this season.
Reflecting on his campaign, Marini highlighted the collective effort behind the team’s progress and the need for further improvement.
“The start to the year has been good and now we need to look to make a step and become even more competitive,”
he said.
“Everyone involved has been working really well, and you can tell that with amount the Test Team is doing, all of Honda HRC are pushing.”
Marini also commented on the upcoming Silverstone race and the challenges it presents.
“It’s been busy between the two races, and I am confident that we can perform well and add more points to our card.”
This year we go to Silverstone at a different time of the year so we need to see what the weather will do and react accordingly.
—Luca Marini, Honda Rider
Additional Rider Updates and Event Expectations
Adding excitement to the British GP weekend, former Silverstone winner Aleix Espargaro is set to make his second wild-card appearance with HRC this season, following encouraging performances from test riders. For instance, Takaaki Nakagami, another HRC test rider, achieved sixth place at Le Mans, highlighting the depth of talent supporting the team.
With the British Grand Prix approaching, riders and teams are adjusting their preparations for the unique conditions Silverstone may bring at this time of year, aiming to optimize performance and capitalize on any opportunity for strong results.
Joan Mir’s resilience amidst injury challenges continues to be a focal point leading into this key race, where he hopes to leverage his training efforts and maintain Honda’s momentum after Zarco’s recent win.
