Mir's MotoGP Struggles: Rear Grip Issues

0:00On April 4th, Joe Mears been Honda's quickest rider in the 2026 MotoGP season so far, but he's only grabbed three points from the first. Three flyaway rounds, that's way behind teammate Luca Marini with 23 points. Issues hit early. A tire problem knocked him out of fourth and Thailand, illness, and crashes sideline him in Brazil, and he doubled DNF'd in the US GP, all on his own. In Austin, things looked promising after qualifying fifth. He was chasing Pedro Acosta for a podium spot in the sprint, but tucked the front on the last lap. Even with Acosta's later penalty, Mears was in line for third. Someday got worse, he took a long lap penalty for cutting a corner, then crashed from sixth while clear of other Honda's. Mears blames Honda's ongoing rear grip problems, saying they force him to push too hard on corner entry and overload the front tire. He's calling for upgrades to the RC213V, so he can ride smoother without extra risks. Since joining Honda in 2023, he's been one of the

1:02grids crashiest riders, even as the bike improved last year and he hit podiums late in 2025. He refuses to dial back his aggression, like in his tough 2023 and 2024 seasons, insisting he races to fight for big. Results, not just participate. Crash's pile up more in races when he's in the pack. Battling slipstreams and arrows staying safe alone in practice is easy, but matching others doubles. The danger. Mears sticking to his guns, vowing to help Honda fix these issues while pushing limits. If they nailed the rear grip, watch out. He's got the speed to shake things up. F1 News Today, powered by AI, bringing you what matters on and off the field. I'm Corey with the story.