Johann Zarco praised Joan Mir for his impressive podium finish at the Motegi Grand Prix on Sunday, marking a significant achievement for Honda. Zarco, who remains the leading Honda rider in the world championship, acknowledged Mir’s strong performance as a boost to the team’s morale and confidence.
Mir’s Breakthrough Podium Highlights Honda’s Progress
Joan Mir’s podium result at Motegi was the first for the factory HRC Honda team since Marc Marquez stood on the podium at the same circuit in 2023. This milestone coincided with upgrades to the Honda RCV bike that have benefitted riders like Mir and Luca Marini since the midpoint of the season. Mir’s speed during qualifying nearly secured him pole position and his starting place in the front row was critical in holding pace with the leading group in the early stages of the race.
Johann Zarco applauded Mir’s performance, saying,
“Mir did a fantastic race today. I’m very glad for him that he got the podium and it’s a good motivation for us to find a good setup. Because I feel the confidence is taking time to recover.”
He added,
“He was super fast this weekend, from the qualifying, almost making pole position. And when you start in the first row and have enough speed to stay with the top guys for the first half of the race, then the second half is almost easy. So he was in a perfect position to reach the podium and he took this opportunity.”
Zarco’s Strong Points Finish Amid Challenges
Zarco, starting from eleventh on the grid, spent much of the race chasing fellow Spaniard Fabio Quartararo but ultimately finished ninth. Zarco expressed relief and satisfaction with the result after a difficult run of non-finishes since Austria, highlighting the importance of completing races to rebuild confidence. He spoke about his race pace and position, noting that while he was close behind Quartararo and Raul Fernandez, he lacked the extra speed to move higher.
He reflected,
“Very pleased with this ninth position. It’s a big relief to score points because since Austria, I could not reach the end of the races and this was very hard to manage.”
He continued,
“Today, the feeling on the bike was good enough to fight for the top ten. I can see that I was missing a bit of speed to stay with Raul Fernandez and be close to the top 7. But at least I did a nice race behind Fabio Quartararo.”
Zarco added,
“I tried to be as close as possible to overtake him, but I could not give more and I think I was a bit stressed on the bike. Because one of the first targets was to finish, just to score points and make a certain reset to get back the confidence and try to build up good results through these overseas races.”
New Honda Upgrades Show Promise for Zarco
Alongside the positive result from Mir, Zarco has been able to benefit from new Honda bike parts introduced at Motegi. These upgrades have helped improve lap times and consistency, contributing to his return to the top ten in this race.
Regarding the updated machine, Zarco said,
“Since I tried the new bike, there is a good performance. We can make good lap times and overall be quite constant.”
Looking Ahead for Honda’s Riders
The strong achievements from Joan Mir and Johann Zarco at the Japanese round underscore Honda’s growing competitiveness as the season progresses. Mir’s podium signals a potential turning point for the factory HRC team, while Zarco’s ability to finish and secure points helps rebuild his momentum after recent difficulties. With the new RCV upgrades showing effectiveness, Honda’s riders aim to maintain this upward trajectory as the championship moves into its remaining overseas races.
