A Honda in Silverstone Q2: Joan Mir surprised even himself

Joan Mir, who in 2026 had tended to be a regular cause of yellow flags, not only demonstrated his ability to stay on the bike at the start of the British Grand Prix, but also showed astonishing pace at the crucial moment. In the final stages of the one-hour session to determine the top 10, Mir had got to grips with the RC213V so well that he secured one of the coveted places in eighth position, making him clearly the fastest MotoGP Honda rider. Team-mate Luca Marini, in twelfth, was half a second behind the crash-prone rider.

Mir was over a second faster than in the 2025 qualifying session – though it hadn’t been enough to make it through to Q2. 1:57.111 – this meant the Mallorcan was also faster than the lap record, which changed hands every minute during the qualifying session.

Even a 1:56 lap was on the cards

Mir couldn’t pinpoint the decisive reason for the astonishing pace: “I was amazed myself. I saw the split times on the monitor and then on the instrument panel too. I absolutely didn’t expect that – a 1:56 lap might even have been possible. It shows me that the circuit probably masks some of the bike’s weaknesses. I don’t know if that’s really the case, but I’m happy to take what I’ve got and play the cards we’ve been dealt.”

A theory: “The rear tyre seems to be giving us a bit more stability this year. It might also have something to do with the temperatures, though – everything comes together and I’m happy with how things are.”

Is there enough potential in the races to challenge the front-runners?

At the same time, the future Ducati Gresini rider put forward a theory: “I’d be very surprised, though, if we actually manage to move any further up the order. I think we’re on the verge of To finish in the top five in Q2 would be amazing. But the target now has to be a place in the first three rows, no matter what. If we then get everything right for the races, there’s a chance of good results.”

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Silverstone: Qualifying MotoGP

MotoGP World Championship

08.08.2026 - 12:40

Finishing in the points would also boost his World Championship standings. In the last 12 races, the Honda works rider has failed to score points on nine occasions. In 18th place, I’m the worst-placed of the four regular Honda riders – and that’s despite the fact that LCR rider Zarco has been out of the running since Barcelona.