Joan Mir regretted having made a mistake in the choice of the front wheel compound of his Suzuki for the MotoGP race of the San Marino Grand Prix , opting for the medium rubber, instead of the hard one. A mistake that paid dearly.
“It has been a very hard day, I expected more. I have mounted a front tire that was not the right one and it has conditioned me the whole race. We were quick at the end, but it wasn’t enough. We will try to improve in the next race”, summed up the Spaniard.
In the end, Mir crossed the line fifth, but was penalized with a place for stepping off the track on the last lap, for which he was re-placed sixth. A result that, combined with the second of Fabio Quartararo , leader of the championship, leaves him practically without options to reissue the title.
“Of course the first place has already left us. It’s hard for me to accept it, but it’s like that”, fit the Balearic.
Now, the Suzuki will try to fight for second place, but Pecco Bagnaia and his Ducati seem to be clearly one step ahead at the moment.
“With Pecco I don’t sign a third party. It would be the easiest thing we can achieve, we aspire to more. The Bagnaia-Ducati package is the strongest now, but there are four races left and we are going to try until the end.
“I have the feeling that this year I have not yet done everything that I have inside. I hope that my best version arrives before the end of the season, and if this cannot be the case, that it appears next year from the beginning, ”he already valued in key 2022 .
This Tuesday and Wednesday a test is held in Misano that could be crucial for Suzuki in that sense, since they are going to test next year’s bike.
“I guess they have brought things so that we can stop the bike better. We are running a different setup, it is more effective and demands more from the front tyre. That’s the right direction with my style. We started with the medium compound in front, a mistake that we will not make in the next one. I am convinced that Suzuki is working in that direction.”
“I don’t know what we’ll have to prove. Sure there are things for 2022, but my priority is to finish this year in a strong way. As much as we can make progress, the better, because testing it with the test riders is not the same as testing it with the official riders, and that is an advantage if we can do it”.
Mir was asked to delve into the tire choice and how he came to that conclusion.
“I have realized in the first laps, that is when you have to demand the most from the front tire, because the rear has more grip and pushes, in addition to the fact that the tank is full. There was no way to stop the motorcycle. When the fuel dropped I was able to be faster, but it was already in the last part of the race and it was very late for us”.
At the end of the race in which Mir hunted down Marc Márquez and Jack Miller , he placed fourth but, in the end, he lost a place on the track and another due to a penalty in the last corner.
“It didn’t change anything for me to be fourth than sixth, I just had a good time. He had more pace than Miller and Marquez. I was able to pass Marc, something that is not easy this year. In turn 1-2, then I prepared to overtake Jack and it was very difficult for me to stop the bike. I blocked him a bit and I already realized that Marc was going to pass us both. Then I don’t know if I’ve stepped outside or not, and it doesn’t change anything for me to lose one or two seats. I have tried and I am happy with that”, he said before emphasizing: “I have given one hundred percent again, and again it has not been enough” , lamented the man from Suzuki .
A reflection that leads us to think that the champion has been losing patience as the year has gone by without great improvements in the GSX-RR .
“It is not a question of patience. I know sometimes it’s not just me. You also have to find a pack and upgrade. Inside me, what gives me peace of mind is that I know that Suzuki is doing everything, working hard. You have to wait for things to arrive. It is true, I would like to have them now, but it cannot be. I can understand it. I am not running out of patience because I know they are working hard”, settled the Spaniard.
(Click on the link or on the image to see all the photos of the 2021 San Marino GP MotoGP race)
