Joan Mir Grapples with Vibration Woes on New Tyres Despite Honda’s MotoGP Progress

Joan Mir expressed his confusion over their current situation, stating, "What we're experiencing is quite odd." He elaborated on the issue, noting, "When the tyres are worn, we can maintain good speed. However, when we switch to new tyres, I'm encountering significant vibrations."

The progress Honda has made in the recent three MotoGP races, similar to Yamaha, came after a bit of a delay following their acquisition of the updated concessions package.

The leading rider on an RCV has seen their average position rise from 14th across the first 11 grand prix races to 11th in the most recent three Sunday competitions.

Recent updates include a redesigned aero package and swingarm, specifically targeting Honda's persistent challenges with traction and cornering.

However, Joan Mir is experiencing an undesirable consequence of enhanced rear traction, which is the emergence of chatter when using new tires. This problem is not unique to him; other riders, like KTM's Augusto Fernandez, are encountering similar issues this season, noting, "The greater the grip, the more vibrations we encounter."

The oscillations relegated Repsol Honda's Mir to a 20th-place start at Mandalika, leading to a crash in the first lap of the Sprint. Moreover, Mir's impressive speed on worn tires, which typically lessens the vibrations due to reduced grip, proved to be futile.

"Mir noted, 'When we use old tyres, our speed increases. However, when we switch to new tyres, I experience significant vibration and struggle to complete a lap. So, we're facing the same issue we encountered in Misano.'"

"During the Sprint, the situation was quite alike. I experienced significant vibrations during the initial two laps, leading to my crash."

"In the second free practice, running on a previously used tire, my speed was consistently strong. On a tire that had already seen 12 laps, I managed a lap time of 30.8 seconds. Then, with a fresh soft tire during the qualifying session, I improved slightly to a 30.7!"

"It's quite peculiar what we're experiencing. However, should we overcome it, our true capabilities will significantly enhance."

The reigning champion from 2020 stated, "Currently, I'm satisfied with our setup foundation. However, we're experiencing a significant issue with vibration from the new tire specifically."

"The way I sit on the motorcycle, or perhaps for another reason, seems to cause more vibration compared to others. We're currently trying to figure out why this happens. Luca and Zarco don't seem to have as much of an issue with it, but it's my main concern, as evident from the data.

"During the Sprint race, an issue caused me to crash, preventing me from fully leveraging the capabilities of the new aerodynamics package and swingarm we've implemented."

"However, once I had the used tire, I could move much quicker on Saturday morning."

Switching to a medium rear tire for Sunday's grand prix is expected to decrease the initial maximum rear traction, which could advantage Mir. "Most likely, the medium will improve this issue. We'll find out if it enables us to perform well in the race," he acknowledged.

Beginning from the seventh position, LCR team's Johann Zarco achieved Honda's highest Sprint race finish of the year by securing eighth place in the Saturday race.

Mir's colleague, Luca Marini, faced difficulties in the qualifying round as well, commencing from the 17th spot. He then got entangled with Brad Binder and, during the initial lap, was positioned just in front of Jorge Martin, who had crashed.

"Marini expressed his satisfaction, noting that Zarco's performance indicates significant improvements in the bike. He acknowledged his own errors during qualifying and observed that the race pace is quite uniform among competitors, making a strong start crucial for securing a favorable final position."

"My misfortune stemmed from Brad Binder not disengaging the front mechanism early enough in the first section, leading me to collide with him at Turn 8 and subsequently fall to the back of the pack. We're setting our sights on a strong start tomorrow, and from there, we'll assess our position. Should we find ourselves within the top 15 by the first lap, I'm confident we can achieve a commendable outcome."

Takaaki Nakagami, who is on the same team as Zarco, debuted the new fairing during a Grand Prix weekend on Saturday, securing a finish just one spot higher than Marini.

"Nakagami expressed a need for additional time to fully grasp the new aerodynamics, something he noted was also true for himself. He highlighted that during the recent session, they only managed 10 laps of practice before moving on to the qualifying round and the Sprint, a schedule that was first experienced by the other Honda riders at the prior Misano event."

The sensation [with the fairing] is distinct. While the traction remains largely unaffected, it enhances cornering due to the ground effect. It's evidently the correct direction [to proceed]. However, upon exiting the turn, I experienced increased wheelie.

"We'll find out what happens tomorrow. With 27 laps in such warm conditions, managing the tyres is going to be crucial. Finishing in the top ten would be a great result ahead of my home Grand Prix…"

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