Suzuki's final MotoGP race "special" but end of season "depressing", says Mir

The Spanish rider joined the team in 2019 before taking the team’s first riders’ championship in 20 years the following year.

It was confirmed in May that the Japanese manufacturer would exit the championship at the end of 2022, despite having only made its return in 2015.

Mir, who will move to Honda for 2023 alongside Marc Marquez, said this weekend is the end of a “really nice period” with Suzuki, but lamented his recent injury troubles.

He missed four grands prix – Misano, Aragon, Japan and Thailand - after suffering an ankle injury during the first lap of the Austrian GP in August. He made his return at Phillip Island, but struggled with technical issues and finished in 18th.

Asked whether this would be a strange weekend, Mir said: “A special one. It’s the end of a really nice period with Suzuki, it has been a really nice period but this is coming up to the end so for me what I have in my mind is it’s a bit depressing.

“At the end we achieve amazing results but after an injury, having technical problems in Australia, physical problems in Malaysia with both races having the potential to be at the top.

“So I want to finish, I have something inside of me that says, ‘come on, we can do it better’ and we can do a great end of this period.”

Joan Mir, Team Suzuki MotoGP

Photo by: Srinivasa Krishnan

“I would say in these three years, when we got the opportunity to win the title, we get it. So this is the main thing.

“We probably didn’t get the opportunity in this years, last year was a good year, we finished third. But we didn’t get the opportunity to fight for more.

“I know that if I’m able to have this opportunity normally, I like to get it.”

Team-mate Alex Rins says he has “extra motivation” to push this weekend ahead of Suzuki’s farewell, having spent all six years of his MotoGP career with the brand and scoring four race victories in that time.

“There is more than extra motivation for a good result, I would say that this is our last race, our last dance with the Suzuki,” Rins said on Thursday in Valencia.

“We will try to give our 100%. This weekend is going to be very emotional, for me, for all the team, for everybody who will see these beautiful blue bikes on track.

“Apart from the result I will try to give my 100%. If after the race I gave my 100%, I will be happy because we did many, many races with Suzuki.

“We went through many good and bad moments, so I’m quite satisfied with all I did in these years.”

Alex Rins, Team Suzuki MotoGP

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Rins says the experiences he has had, both good and bad, with Suzuki will remain with him as he progresses his career with LCR Honda next year while recalling the period back in 2016 when he signed with Suzuki.

“I remember that period, I remember that I was working in the paddock in Austin and I saw Davide [Brivio, former team boss],” Rins said. “It was in the previous race that he was interested in me, and he asked for my manager’s phone.

“I saw him and I said, ‘Davide, thank you’. I think it was in Montmelo that we already signed the pre-contract.

“We lived many good and bad moments with Suzuki.

“The good thing is that I understand why in many races I lost points and why in many races Suzuki lost points. So, this is the thing that I will keep for my career, for my experience.”