Joan Mir was able to secure his first podium in four years with an emotional third place at the Japanese Grand Prix.
It had been four years since Joan Mir last featured on a MotoGP World Championship podium, as his last came at the 2021 Algarve Grand Prix at Portimao.
The 2020 MotoGP World Champion had been relentlessly searching for his first podium with Honda since leaving Suzuki, and it finally came at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
"What a weekend, a perfect one," Mir told MotoGP.com after the Japanese Grand Prix.
"Honestly, after being so close to being on pole position, and fighting for the podium in the Sprint, today I took the chance to get on the podium.
"I knew it was going to be hard, because in the long races we have to control the spin a lot, normally with our bike the grip drops a lot. In this case, I think I did it in the perfect way.
"I tried to attack a lot on the brakes to save the tyres, and then I was able to open a gap at the end of the race, and I was catching the guys in front. Marc [Marquez] was the only rider in the last three or four laps who was slightly faster than us.
"But it was fantastic, I am super happy, super happy for Honda, because being able to get a podium here after the difficult period means a lot for them. It means a lot for me also, because I am coming from a very difficult period from where I had everything to nothing for a lot of years.
"Continuing was a challenge, and finding the motivation was hard, but I never gave up. I want to continue for moments like this one; this was the main goal. We are achieving great results and we are close to where I want to be, but making races like this is what we have to do."
When asked if he believes Honda will be in the podium fight on a more regular basis, Mir was not convinced, as it took him three years to secure his first podium with the manufacturer.
"I don't know, it has been very difficult," he explained.
"It was a very risky move to move from Suzuki to Honda. I expected that Honda would one day have the package to fight for this position. But it took three years.
"Even though I continued for two years more, I believe in this project, and I am happy to be here. Hopefully, we can continue, and this will give them the boost to improve a little bit more."
