Former MotoGP champ👍ion Joan Mir finished in th🔯e top six 30 times as a Suzuki rider from 2019-2022.

As such, he never expected to feel as happy about a seventh place as𝔉 he did on Sunday in Aragon.

But after an eighth DNF of the season when he was taken out by Jack Miller in the Saturday Sprint, Mir admitted it was a big relief to claim his best Honda MotoGP result since fifth place in India 2023.

“Finally, we could finish the race with a more-or-less good result. I’ve never been happy with a seventh position in my career, but𒊎 now I'm happy!" he said.

“We are in a very difficult൩ situation and finally being able to fight with these guys, we have to be happy about it.

“We don't have the tools to do nothing more. So I will go to bed very calm with myself, knowiཧng that I gave my 100%.

“We have to continue pushing hard. We are🔜 d🍸oing a good job and we are in the process of coming back, but it’s not enough.

“Still we miss acceleration, top speed and grip🦩. These are things w💝e must improve.

“On the other🦄 hand, I'm happy because on braking, corner speed and handling, we are in a very good moment. I'm a🧜ble to fight and that is very positive.

“But to do something more we must improve the top speed, the p💛ower of the bike and the grip.

“If not it will be difficult to make races in a better position than 7th♛, if nothing h𝔉appens [ahead] like today.”

The straight-line weakness was illustrated by Mir being ranked ahead of only Honda rookie Somkiaཧt Chantra and Aprilia sta🦹nd-in Lorenzo Savadori on the top speed charts at Aragon.

“When you overt💦ake, you are super tense, thinking that on the straight they will overtake you back!” he admitted.

“The relief, after one lap without being overtakenꦯ, is massive.

“൲In practice, our pace alone is normally very good. It's acceptable. Close to the 🔯top five.

“But racing is another story.

“You have a lot of bikes around and𒁏 you have to fight with them and can’t always find a clear track.

“For exampleꦚ, Yamaha in the past, if they started [at the front], they knew they had the pace if they were alone.

“We don't start on pole position and we are not the fastest on track, so that complicates a l🐻ittle bit the situation.”

With Mir’s team-mate Luca Marini ab𝕴sent due to injury, and LCR’s Johann Zarco crashing, Chanta was the only other Honda finisher, in 16th.