MotoGP India: Breakthrough ride for Joan Mir? ‘I think we could be close to

But few would have predicted the 2020 world champion would score points in just one of the opening 12 rounds/24 races, including twice being sidelined by injuries.

It was enough for Mir to briefly contemplate retirement, but there was finally some light at the end of the tunnel in India where Mir made a step-change in form.

Qualifying fifth, just ahead of Marquez, Mir fell from the lead group in the Saturday Sprint but made amends with fifth in the Sunday race, directly behind the KTM of Brad Binder.

“A great race today,” said Mir, whose only previous Honda points came from eleventh place in the Portimao season opener.

“I am super happy with our performance over the weekend and of course to finish in fifth position is a big boost for us. The team and I did a great job to understand the bike more, how you need to make the lap time and be fast this weekend.”

Mir revealed he might even have been able to keep pace with podium finishers Jorge Martin and Fabio Quartararo had he not been troubled by a rear tyre vibration.

“We had a small thing in the end of the race [vibration] that meant I lost ground to Fabio and we dropped back,” he said.

“I started to have vibration coming from the rear tyre. I thought that I couldn’t finish the race, then when I was spinning more and more, it was like disappearing a bit more.

“So that conditioned the second part of our race a little bit, and I think that we could be close to Jorge [Martin] and Fabio today, honestly.

“Finally in the end we were able to push and try to catch Binder after I almost crashed. It was a big save! But yeah, a really nice race overall and I have enjoyed my time in India.

“Let’s keep it up in Japan!”

Mir said earlier in the weekend that he hopes to switch to the 2024 prototype, tried at the Misano test, in Motegi this weekend.

Team-mate Marquez recovered to ninth place after falling from fourth.