MotoGP winner inspired by Marquez’s risky decision.

Less than a year after boldly asking Honda to cancel his existing contract through 2024, Marc Marquez has seen his risk rewarded in every aspect except financially. However, the scale 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 at Honda and what his weekends would have looked like in 2024.

Márquez’s former teammate at Honda, Joan Mir, knows the answer very well. Unlike Fabio Quartararo, who decided that a move similar to that of Márquez 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 must have all options available before making a decision about his future.

Mir, like Marquez and Quartararo, is a MotoGP world champion. He understands, however, that he doesn’t attract the same level of interest as those two riders widely considered the sport’s best. Mir’s market value was affected by an accident-filled season at Suzuki and a difficult first year with Honda, where Marquez and his former teammate Alex Rins performed better. Although it has shown improvement, Mir’s high accident rate and lack of results make it less attractive to potential employers.

Mir acknowledges that the bike he rides plays a big role in how he is perceived. He points out that leaving Honda does not necessarily lead to better opportunities, as Márquez’s move to Gresini showed. Mir’s market value is influenced by the current state of MotoGP, where certain riders are given priority due to their recent results.

Last year, Mir found himself in such a difficult situation that he even considered retiring. However, this year he is not in the same situation, partly because he now has the freedom to choose his team. Mir dreams of better times in a different team and thinks that once he becomes competitive again, his mindset will change. He recognizes the difficult situation at Honda and expresses a 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 his decision will ultimately 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 thoughts and Trackhouse Aprilia is actively looking for experienced MotoGP riders.

Mir’s profile fits the criteria Trackhouse is looking for, and this could be the fresh start he needs. Although the team does not yet have a history of MotoGP victories like Gresini, and the Aprilia bike is not yet on the same level as the Desmosedici, this represents an opportunity for Mir to start again, especially given the success of Márquez with his own new beginning.