Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) completed the opening day of the Austrian GP in a promising 6th place, continuing a trend of solid performances for Honda. Speaking after the session, the 2020 World Champion highlighted the consistent, incremental improvements the team has made—not just this weekend, but over the last few rounds.
A Measured but Determined Mindset
Despite facing front-end issues during the afternoon session, Mir remained composed and managed to find a solution by the end of the day. While he acknowledges the current limits of the package, his focus remains firmly on maximizing every opportunity.
“Honda has been showing strength not just this weekend, but for several races now. Getting into Q2 is no longer a one-off—it’s becoming more consistent. While it’s difficult to expect much more at the moment, the goal is always to give 100%.”
“This afternoon, I struggled with the front end, but we managed to sort it out. There’s still room to improve ahead of tomorrow, but I’m optimistic.”
Progressing Step by Step
Mir admitted that while Honda hasn’t made a major leap compared to the start of the season, the steady pace of development is clear in recent results.
“We haven’t made a huge step since the beginning of the season, but we’re making small, steady gains. We’ve been finishing around the top six or top eight, which is encouraging. But now we need to start fighting for podiums and wins under normal conditions.”
“In Brno, I managed to start from the second row, and I hope we can repeat that this weekend as well.”