Joan Mir believes that Honda has the potential to “be competitive from the start” of the upcoming Argentina MotoGP weekend.
The 2020 MotoGP champion heads into the second round of the 2025 season in an optimistic frame of mind.
Mir crashed out in the Thai season opener but had a strong weekend with the Japanese marque, running in seventh place before his retirement in the second half of the race.
The Spaniard signed a two-year contract extension with Honda for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, as the Japanese outfit has made strides in its efforts to become the former superpower it once was.
“I am looking forward to this race after what we showed last time out in Thailand,” Mir revealed to Crash.net.
“We are capable of a lot and it’s important to get some points on the board and deliver.
“Argentina will be a different weekend to Thailand because we arrive without testing there but we normally have a very strong base, I think that we can be competitive from the start.
“In the past I have had some good results in Argentina, so I think the pieces are there to have a solid weekend and keep our season progressing.”
Luca Marini unfazed by Honda debut in Argentina
Mir’s teammate Luca Marini appears unfazed at the prospect of taking to the Argentine track for the first time in Honda colours.
The Italian missed the 2024 edition due to the cancellation of the race weekend, but he is feeling “optimistic” about his chances of a strong result after finishing 12th in Buriram.
Marini famously produced his first podium at the Sprint race in 2023 aboard the VR46 Ducati, finishing third on the Saturday.
“In Thailand we were able to accomplish a very good weekend overall, so now flying to Argentina I am optimistic we can continue in this way,” he said.
“I don’t think arriving there ‘for the first [time]’ on the Honda will be a problem – the team and I did a lot of work over the off-season to get the base of the bike into a good position so I know that we can start correctly.
“In 2023 I achieved my first Sprint podium in Argentina, and I hope that we can have a positive weekend with the Honda HRC Castrol team.”
The Urbino-born rider revealed he will stay in South America for the Brazilian Grand Prix launch event after the weekend’s events.
“After Argentina, I will go to Brazil for the first time to try the new track we will race at next year – an exciting trip!”
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