Mir considers Suzuki “a contender” for 2020 MotoGP title
Joan Mir believes Suzuki "is a contender" in the 2020 MotoGP title race despite having only scored one podium finish from the first five races.
The 2017 Moto3 world champion beat Pramac's Jack Miller to second in the Austrian Grand Prix last month to register his first podium in the premier class and the first for Suzuki in 2020.
Mir was on course to back that up with a maiden victory in the second Red Bull Ring Race before brake failure for Maverick Vinales brought the Styrian Grand Prix to a halt on lap 17 while the Suzuki rider was leading by over two seconds.
With no fresh medium front tyres left, Mir was powerless to stop himself being demoted to fourth in the 12-lap restart.
This leaves Mir eighth in the standings and 26 points off championship leader Fabio Quartararo on the Petronas SRT Yamaha.
But given how well the GSX-RR performed at the horsepower-dependent Red Bull Ring – an area Suzuki still lacks compared to Ducati, Honda and now KTM – Mir's form in the Austria double-header proved he and the Japanese marque are in the title hunt this year.
"Of course it is," Mir asked if Suzuki's form in Austria was encouraging.
"We have a great bike. If we were fighting for the victory here in Austria with the Suzuki with a lot less horsepower than the other people, this means we have a great bike, a great balanced bike.
"So, I'm proud of my team, proud of Suzuki. For sure, Suzuki is a contender for the title."
Teammate Alex Rins echoed his praise for the Suzuki, with the Spaniard sixth in the Styrian GP after a botched launch at the restart left him with ground to recover, while he crashed having just taken the lead in the Austrian GP.
A shoulder injury, which ruled him out of the Spanish GP and hindered him in the Andalusian round, as well as his Austrian GP crash have left Rins 41 points from the standings lead in 13th.
"Yeah, for sure I need to be happy because Suzuki made a big step in Austria," Rins said when asked if he was satisfied with Suzuki's current form despite his Austria woes.
"For sure [we were] unlucky, because Joan was able to win his first race, but with the red flag he couldn't.
"But the rhythm was there, I also had a bit of bad luck in the second race at the start. But we need to be quite happy."
Share Or Save This Story
MotoGP 2025: Full rider line-up revealed
A year on from Marquez’s Germany MotoGP meltdown, has Honda improved?
What’s behind MotoGP’s right-hander chaos in Germany practice?
Joan Mir defends himself over his crashes: "I know how to ride without crashing; it's very easy"
What role does a MotoGP rider really play in bike development?
Five MotoGP riders who need a big 2026 season
The MotoGP philosophy Suzuki's "madman" installed that Honda and Yamaha can't
Mir: No publicity campaign will replicate what MotoGP gave Suzuki
Rins was ‘crying on the grid’ before taking Suzuki’s farewell MotoGP win
The NASCAR Trucks Chase is about The Big Three, but who else?
Andrea Stella: McLaren must help Oscar Piastri stop "thinking" about how to drive '26 F1 car
Gateway was a race of opportunity for drivers with several posting season-best results
Christian Rasmussen reunites with Era Motorsport for IMSA’s Indianapolis sprint round
Are Aprilia riders making it too easy for Marc Marquez to win the 2026 MotoGP title?
What we learned from MotoGP’s decisive San Marino Grand Prix
Pedro Acosta may not win a MotoGP race on a KTM - and that’s not a failure
Will the 2026 MotoGP title fight boil down to these three riders?
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments