JOAN MIR SAYS HE IS BATTLING A MYSTERY ILLNESS AFTER LOW-BATTERY FEELING AT MISANO

Joan Mir admitted he is fighting a “mystery illness” at Misano after struggling to match the pace of his Honda team-mates during the San Marino MotoGP weekend. Speaking after the sprint, the Spaniard described himself in physical terms rather than mechanical ones, saying he had “very, very low battery” and that he could not draw on the strength needed to ride at his usual level.

Mir’s day ended with a 20th-place finish in the sprint, following a 17th-place qualifying effort. He crossed the line 22 seconds behind the leader and just under 2.5 seconds ahead of Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo, who crashed during the race. While Honda’s other riders showed encouraging form on the high-grip Misano surface, Mir said the problem was inside his own body.

Explaining what went wrong, Mir said he had already visited a doctor to try to understand the cause of his condition. “Today, I’m with a very, very low battery. I don’t know what happened,” he said. He added: “I already went to the doctor to understand a little bit what is happening, because I don’t have strength.”

The Honda rider also quantified how he felt, stating: “I don’t feel at 100%… no, I don’t feel at 50%.” In his view, the focus now is less about finding the right setup and more about getting treatment. “So, more than the bike, it’s just trying to fix this, trying to understand what is happening,” he said. Mir suggested that the situation may become clearer after the next few days, adding: “And next week, probably, we will understand and have treatment.”

When asked whether he expected to improve by the next day, Mir was cautious. “I don’t think that tomorrow I will feel better. On Friday I was, more or less, but then it was getting worse. Nothing more to say.” He also acknowledged that he has dealt with illness issues before at this event, withdrawing from the 2024 San Marino Grand Prix as a result.

With Sunday’s 27-lap grand prix approaching, Mir said he is not yet sure he will be able to race. “I don’t know. We will go day by day,” he said. He explained that the symptoms are not primarily stomach-related, describing “a little bit of a headache and not able to be precise - tired.”

Despite Mir’s difficulties, Honda’s prospects for points on Sunday looked brighter. Luca Marini qualified sixth and finished ninth in the sprint, while Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira also contributed to the team’s momentum by placing ninth through 11th respectively. For Honda, that points haul could be crucial as Mir works to recover, with his availability for the race still dependent on how he wakes up and how his condition develops.