Joan Mir was back on the podium as he bounced back from a Sprint Race crash to a third place in the Grand Prix.

The flyaway races have been an inconsistent period for Joan Mir and the Honda HRC Castrol squad as they have experienced severe highs and lows.

Mir started the flyaways off with a third place in the Japanese Grand Prix, before crashing out of the Indonesian and Australian Grands Prix. However, in the Malaysian Grand Prix, he was back in business and returned to the podium with another third place.

After crashing in the Sprint Race at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit, Mir was determined to deliver a positive result on Sunday.

"It was a difficult one, it was a very difficult one," Mir told MotoGP.com after the Malaysian Grand Prix.

"It was probably the hardest one of my life, in terms of tyre management. The bike was sliding everywhere; it was so critical on the front, but we managed it perfectly.

"I am so pleased, as we gave 150% of our package, which you can only do when you have good confidence and a good feeling with the bike.

"After the crash yesterday, when I was fighting for this position, I realised that this was possible today. But the line between being fast and crashing is very narrow. With our bike going into the corners, you take more risk than the others.

"I did not want to see another 'Mir Out', so I just wanted to finish the race, but with a podium."

'I never had doubts that Honda would be back...'

Mir went on to explain that his crash in the Sprint Race on Saturday was unexpected, and he was 'tense' at Turn Nine during the Grand Prix.

"I was worried, because the crash from yesterday was not a crash that I expected," he explained.

"I was not attacking so much; I was behind Pedro [Acosta], just controlling for the last laps, and I lost the front. Today I was a bit more tense than normal at Turn Nine. I was keeping it tight, in first gear, and I was being careful."

With two podiums in the last four races, Mir revealed that he has always trusted in Honda and their MotoGP project, despite the lows he experienced when he first joined the Japanese manufacturer.

"I never had doubts that Honda would be back," he stated.

"That is why even in the worst scenario, I renewed for two more years. I trust in this project and I trust these people. When we both trust in each other, these things happen; this is the reality.

"It was just a matter of time and a matter of work, so I am very happy."