The good news for Joan Mir is that he has already completed the MotoGP title.
The bad news is that his 20th place on the grid for the Portimao Finals not only compromises his chances of a strong end to a dream season, but also puts Suzuki in the background in the battle against Ducati and Yamaha for the MotoGP constructors’ title.
Suzuki and Ducati are currently tied, which means any factory that has the rider with the highest goal on Sunday will take the crown – as long as that rider is no more than 13 points behind the best Yamaha.
But the top Yamaha (Franco Morbidelli) finished second on the grid, while the lead Ducati (Jack Miller) came third. The best Suzuki is Alex Rins in tenth place after Mir suffered electronic problems on Saturday.
“It was a very difficult day because we had a problem with the electronics and I couldn’t stay on the bike!” Told me. “But when we realized it was too late we went in the wrong direction and today a day was lost.
“I wasn’t able to perform well because of this problem, but I’m confident that tomorrow we’ll put it all together and that the warm-up will be important. I think it’s going to be a great comeback.”
He told me he couldn’t be clearer about the problem he was suffering from, just this: “It was electronic. I’m 100% we will get it fixed for tomorrow. But I can’t talk about the problem.”
On the subject of matching items
Rins not only wants to give Suzuki the constructor title he needs for a perfect triple crown, but also fights for second place behind his team-mate in the drivers’ championship. However, he has to close a four point gap with Morbidelli.
“Let’s see what we can do tomorrow. I’ll start on the fourth row on the 10th and I think I can do something. My lap times and feelings were good and although the track is pretty tight and technical, I feel positive, “said Rins.
“The warm-up from tomorrow morning will be important to test my rhythm again, because now we are sure of the setup. The next thing is to feel a little more comfortable with my rhythm.
On the subject of matching items
“I will try very hard to achieve the best possible position with my team and in the hope of a triple crown in order to end the season on a high note.”