In less than a year since he made the bold request for Honda to cancel his existing contract until 2024, Marc Marquez has seen his risk pay off in every aspect except financially. However, the magnitude of his achievement goes beyond his success on the track and his ability to secure the best team in MotoGP for next year. To truly understand the importance of this, one must consider what would have happened if he had chosen to stay with Honda and what his weekends in 2024 would have been like.
Marquez’s former teammate at Honda, Joan Mir, knows the answer very well. Unlike Fabio Quartararo, who decided that a similar move to Marquez’s was not for him and chose to wait for an opportunity at Yamaha, Mir is ready to take the reins of his own career. He recognizes that he needs to have all options available before making a decision about his future.
Mir, like Marquez and Quartararo, is a MotoGP world champion. However, he understands that he does not generate the same level of interest as these two riders, who are widely considered the best in the sport. Mir’s market value has been affected by a season full of accidents at Suzuki and a difficult first year with Honda, where Marquez and his former teammate Alex Rins performed better. Although he has shown improvements, Mir’s high accident rate and lack of results make him less attractive to potential employers.
Mir acknowledges that the bike he rides plays a significant role in how he is perceived. He points out that leaving Honda does not necessarily lead to better opportunities, as Marquez’s move to Gresini showed. Mir’s market value is influenced by the current state of MotoGP, where some riders have priority due to their recent results.
In the past year, Mir was in such a difficult situation that he even considered retirement. However, this year he is not in the same position, partly because now he has the freedom to choose his team. Mir dreams of better times in a different team and believes that once he becomes competitive again, his mindset will change. He acknowledges the challenging situation at Honda and expresses the desire to move forward.
Mir discussed his situation with Marquez, who faced a similar decision last year. Their conversations have provided Mir with an example to follow, but ultimately his decision will depend on the offers he receives. A possible destination for Mir is Trackhouse Aprilia, a new team with a strong bike and led by his former boss at Suzuki, Davide Brivio. Mir and Brivio are aligned in their thinking, and Trackhouse Aprilia is actively seeking experienced MotoGP riders.
Mir’s profile fits the criteria that Trackhouse may be looking for, and this could be the fresh start he needs. Although the team does not yet have a winning history in MotoGP like Gresini, and the Aprilia bike is not yet at the same level as the Desmosedici, this presents an opportunity for Mir to start over, especially considering Marquez’s success with his own fresh start.
