Joan Mir will start from second position on the grid after concluding a fight for pole position against the Frenchman from Pramac Ducati, Johann Zarco.
The rider from Palma held his best qualifier in months this Saturday, a situation that motivates the Suzuki box to face the race on Sunday.
“I think that today’s qualifier has been a challenge for everyone”, introduced Joan Mir at the press conference on Saturday. “Especially after seeing so many crashes in Q1 and so many doubts about the tyres.”
“I feel happy with the position, but above all with the confidence. We have been building confidence on the bike since the first race in Qatar, and step by step I am improving”.
The Spanish rider assured that Suzuki made the right choice with the tires of the GSX-RR, giving its drivers the opportunity to improve from the first moment they took to the track at the Portuguese Grand Prix.
“I have seen that the drivers who were in the top3 were using the slicks when the conditions were critical. The clear strategy was to stay on track. If you stop, it is lost time that you are going to need at the end.”
“I’m very happy with what I’ve done, we’ll see how the race goes tomorrow,” he said in relation to Sunday’s race, where the warm up will be critical to understand where his rivals are.
In the past, Joan Mir has already achieved good results on the Portuguese track. This reason, added to the arrival of the European tour, push the Suzuki rider to believe that from this moment on he could start fighting.
“I am recovering the sensations that I wanted to recover, so I see myself prepared,” insisted the Spaniard, who did not hesitate to warn that “he feels stronger than ever.”
“I think we have made a good start to the season, although it hasn’t been spectacular. But something was missing, and since Austin I’ve learned that I’m getting better and better with this bike, so the important thing is that the steps forward we’re taking are firm “.
“Starting from the front row takes a lot of work off your shoulders. You just have to be able to manage the race well.”
“It’s going to be a calmer experience. Knowing that you no longer have to climb up so many positions reassures you, although you can’t relax because this is MotoGP,” added the man from Palma.
The MotoGP starting grid for the 2022 Portuguese GP
