Joan Mir knows he can’t afford to repeat last year’s miserable debut Repsol Honda MotoGP season and labels 2024 as 'the most important yea✤r of my career'

Suzuki’s 2020 world champion scored just 26 pointsඣ last season and didn’t see a S🦩unday chequered flag once from April to August, as accidents and injuries took their toll.

A fifth place💧 in India provided a brief glimmer of ho🍸pe but proved to be his only top ten appearance.

Fortunately, the heavily revised 2024 Honda prototype, which Mir took 🅷to tenth (+0.692s) at the 🦩recent Sepang test, is showing signs of progress.

“The truth is this is a very important year ⭕for me, maybe the most important of my professional career so far,” Mir s🎃aid at today’s Repsol Honda team launch.

“If a rider has one year that’s not okay… then two in a row is even worse. So I want it to work. I will do my best. I think Honda isꦉ on the same page and I’m very optimistic.”

“It looks like it’s a year of changes,” 𒀰he added. “The bike is completely different and the new livery is very aggressive.

“Honestly, I think we’ve improved a little bit of everything. We just miss a little bit of acceleration at the moment, then someಞthing on the aerodynamics.

“But the bike is already completely different in terms of aerodynamics. It looks more like a modern bike! Last year there was only one wing and this year there are ও⛄a lot.”

Among the many changes for Mir this season is a move to the other side ✱of the garꦯage to work with Marc Marquez’s former crew, headed by Santi Hernandez.

“This i🦹s a good change, let's say, because with Santi it was very natural at the Sepang test,” Mir said. “We were able to create a good atmosphere inside the box which very important for a rider and we were able to work well together.

“Al💞so with all the mechanics was something very great. I really enjoy working with them and I th🐲ink we can make a good team this season.”

Team mana▨ger Alberto Puig insisted🍰 there are no question marks over Mir despite last season.

"We know Joan from the past and we know last year he struggled a lot with the bike, but this year he recovered his confidence and he's a very fast rider. He's a two-time world champion. So we have no question mark on hiꦐm. So let's see how this new bike can help him to deliver his potential."

Puig has also been pleased with the adaptati🍒on into the team by new signing Luca Marini.

"For Luca, he's a new guy, but we are really surprised about the way h♚e’s jumped into the team. It's like we knew him for a long time," Puig said. "He's very precise, very structured. He knows what he wants. 

"He's a young guy that looks very mature in the way he's acting inside the box wi💫th the mechanics, wi💦th the engineers and at the end of the day he's a very normal guy. 

"From our point of view, it's very easy to𝓀 work with a person like this and w🍎e are very pleased for him to be here with us. 

Unlike new tཧeam-mate Luca Marini, Mir’s current contract expires at the end of 2024.

Pre-season testing 🌱w🌱ill conclude in Qatar on February 19-20.