During the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, Honda achieved seven points across its four riders and four points in the manufacturers’ standings. In the following race in Portugal, they once again scored seven points across four riders and four points in the manufacturers’ standings. However, the significance of these points was different.
Joan Mir acknowledged that Qatar was a challenging track for their bike. Despite this, they managed to have a decent weekend. Mir believed that the Portimao track would be more suitable for their bike and hoped to be closer to the top.
Unfortunately, Honda did not perform as well as expected. At the Lusail International Circuit, Johann Zarco narrowly missed out on making Q2 by 0.011 seconds. Although the bike gave him a chance, it wasn’t fully representative of their performance. In contrast, at Portimao, no Honda rider qualified for Q2, with all of them filling the final four places on the grid.
The tone shifted slightly, indicating a change in performance. Mir received praise from his fellow Honda riders for his performance in the race, where he finished 12th despite rear damage from early contact with Franco Morbidelli. Zarco, who finished 15th, acknowledged Mir’s consistency and ability to catch up with riders in front of him. However, Zarco himself struggled throughout the weekend and was fortunate to earn a point.
Zarco mentioned that Mir performed well in the two downhill right-handers at the end of the lap. Mir’s teammate, Luca Marini, noticed his better understanding of the Honda bike during corner entry, allowing him to be more aggressive. Despite these positive aspects, Mir finished 29 seconds behind the race winner, losing over a second per lap compared to Jorge Martin.
Mir had high hopes for the Portuguese GP weekend, especially with the promise of new parts Honda had been testing. However, he was disappointed with the pace and felt that the new parts did not have the desired impact. Zarco shared this sentiment, stating that the changes made during the weekend only provided a small difference, leaving them far from finding a significant solution on the track.
The Honda riders had similar comments regarding the bike, although the variable track conditions hindered their ability to test different parts effectively. They consistently complained about the lack of rear grip and overall dissatisfaction with the bike’s performance.
Takaaki Nakagami, Zarco’s teammate, felt that the bike was difficult to accept and stressful to ride due to the lack of rear contact. Mir also noted that despite the bike being lighter than its predecessor, it felt heavier during changes in direction.
For Mir, being Honda’s standout performer in Portimao may not have brought much consolation. He had enjoyed the track the previous year, but this time, it was not the same.