Mir forced into hard Marquez Portugal MotoGP overtake
Suzuki’s Joan Mir says he was forced into his hard overtake on Marc Marquez on lap one of the MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix because of his ninth-place starting spot.
The reigning world champion made slight contact with the returning Marquez at the Turn 11 Portimao right-hander on the opening lap of Sunday’s race as he made a move for third.
The pair came to blows again a lap later at Turn 3 when Marquez clipped the rear of Mir, though both stayed mounted.
This came a day after Mir was left unhappy by what he felt was “dangerous” tactics from the Honda rider in qualifying, marking the first bit of controversy between the reigning champion and the rider he dethroned.
Mir, who went on to finish third, says he has to be “aggressive” starting so far back “if we want to fight for the championship”.
Asked by Motorsport.com if the hard pass was a little bit of payback after qualifying, Mir said: “In the first lap it’s true we had the moment there [at Turn 11].
“I wanted to overtake and then he closed the line and then it was too late for me. Then we both touched.
“It’s true that I felt a hit in the next lap and I didn’t know that was Marc. So now I understand it was Marc.
“To start in ninth position means this [overtake happens]. If I was not able to make a lap time in qualifying, I have to do these starts.
“It’s like this. If we want to fight for the championship and we [don’t] start in the first row we have to be aggressive. I prefer to start in the first row.”
Joan Mir, Team Suzuki MotoGP
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Third marks Mir’s first podium of his title defence after a fourth and seventh in the opening Qatar rounds, the Suzuki rider now 23 points adrift of leader and Portugal race winner Fabio Quartararo in sixth in the standings.
Mir, who battled a front tyre issue in the race, admits he’s “a little bit” relieved to get his first podium of the year.
“The feeling is good, it’s amazing to take the first podium of the season,” he added.
“We performed quite good, we just had a bit of trouble with the front in the middle part of the race.
“So, we have to work on it but it’s important that we are on the podium. So, I’m satisfied.
“I mean in Qatar we performed well, we just had that trouble on the straight.
“But for me we are doing a great start to the season, we are there in top five scoring points.
“It’s true the Yamaha guys are performing unbelievably, and also the Ducati have made an unbelievable step.
“But we are there. Probably we don’t have the same speed as them, but probably we have other things that are positive.
“It’s important to be as close as we can to those guys in the first part of the championship, and then from then on to continue doing our championship.”
Quartararo 'feels like 2019' after Portimao MotoGP win
Cancelled Portugal pole lap "lost" Bagnaia MotoGP win chance
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
OPINION: The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. This is why.
How in-form Quartararo is evoking Marquez in MotoGP 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success.
Why Marquez's surgery is about more than just chasing on-track success
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations