Marco Bezzecchi
Joan Mir has confirmed he will be leaving the factory Honda MotoGP team at the end of 2026 after accusing the Japanese brand of putting him in a situation he does not deserve.
Following the conclusion of the Sprint race at the Catalan Grand Prix, Joan Mir confirmed what several reports suggested in the lead-up to the sixth round of the 2026 MotoGP season.
While confirmation of his destination is yet to land, Mir is expected to join the Gresini Racing outfit on a two-year deal that will see him ride atop Ducati machinery until the end of 2028.
List every factory MotoGP team that Joan Mir would ‘deserve’ to ride for
The Spaniard was hoping to continue with the factory Honda team into MotoGP’s new era of technical regulations, and he has now revealed what caused him to change his mind.
- READ MORE: MotoGP Sprint results as Alex Marquez wins at Catalan Grand Prix and Jorge Martin crashes again
Joan Mir confirms Honda exit after radio silence at Jerez
Unfortunately, Mir’s Catalan Sprint race ended before it had even properly got underway. Upon the grid’s approach to turn one, VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio clipped the front wheel of Brad Binder, which sent the South African sliding into the Honda rider.
Mir was forced to retire from the race due to collateral damage. His statements in the media centre at the Montmelo-based circuit portrayed an annoyed rider, not because of the incident, however.
Speaking via Motosan, Mir was asked about his future in the premier class, following the emergence of reports linking him with a Honda exit.
Was Uccio Salucci too harsh on Joan Mir?
“I can’t say anything about that, but I can say that after Jerez I decided not to stay with Honda, and that much is true; I won’t be staying there,” he asserted. “As for everything else, I can’t comment.
“At Jerez, I hadn’t heard anything from Honda’s management about where I’d be going, and what’s clear is that I do not deserve that.
“So, that made me change my mind and decide I didn’t want to stay here, and as for the rest, we’ll see.”
- READ MORE: Brad Binder told why Fabio Di Giannantonio did not deserve a penalty for their Catalan Sprint crash
Joan Mir says ‘something always happens’ at turn one in Barcelona after Sprint crash
In response to the crash, Mir offered a stoic perspective despite being taken out of contention through no fault of his own.
“If I’d started fifth, it wouldn’t have happened to me, but you start 10th on the outside,” Mir reflected.
“Here at Montmelo, something always happens at Turn 1, because we’re going so fast on the MotoGP bikes and there’s a lot of turbulence from the winglets too, so things can happen.
“And it happened to me, but there’s no point dwelling on it. The potential is good, we’re fast. That’s what would keep me awake at night, not being fast, but since we are, well, it’ll come in the end.”
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