Joan Mir suggested that rumours about the 2027 MotoGP rider market are unsettling riders amid fears of missing out on a seat.
Like the vast majority of the grid, the Honda rider’s contract expires at the end of the 2026 season ahead of the new regulations.
The 2027 rulebook will see engine capacity reduced from 1000cc to 850cc, the abolition of rear ride-height and holeshot devices, and the introduction of Pirelli tyres.
Before the first official test of the 2026 MotoGP season has even taken place, the rider market is already in a frenzy, with riders in talks with rival manufacturers.
2021 MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo admitted he is in talks with Honda and other manufacturers following reports that he had already sealed a move to the rival Japanese marque.
Mir explained that the start of the MotoGP rumours this early in the season means he has no other choice but to explore his options.
“The truth is that every time that you start to speak about the new contracts earlier and earlier. There’s no limit about it,” he said to Autosport.
“Now it looks like someone started to speak [to teams] in November. In my case, this means that everyone cannot sleep because you don’t want to be without a seat.
“But also from another part, I want to see things to make a decision. If you don’t wait and you exaggerate this procedure a little, maybe you can make a decision that is not the right one.
“But you have to take it [the decision] because everyone is taking it early.
“We will try to play our cards. I don’t know what I want to do. That is a bit my decision at the moment.”
Joan Mir admits 2027 MotoGP plans may need early consideration
Provided Honda secures Quartararo’s signature for 2027, either Mir or team-mate Luca Marini will be forced out.
Mir has ridden for the manufacturer since 2023, following Suzuki’s withdrawal in 2022, and has contributed to the team’s resurgence after back-to-back difficult MotoGP seasons in 2023 and 2024.
In 2025, he secured two podiums and finished 15th in the championship, delivering one in Honda’s stomping ground at Motegi and another in Sepang.
Mir accepted that he will need to evaluate his next steps, despite not yet knowing what he wants.
“Honestly, it was more I don’t even think about it. I don’t even think about what I want to do.
“At the moment, I’m thinking about starting the year [2026] in the best way possible. But on the other hand, if the other riders are closing the deals, we have to move.
“That’s also the reality. So, we will see.”
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