It’s been a few weeks since Joan Mir crowned his and Suzuki’s dream in Valencia: to become World Champion in MotoGP. An extraordinary and well-deserved achievement that wrote an important page in the history of the Japanese company.
The Spaniard was overwhelmed by so many emotions that it was difficult to describe them, but tried. He stood in front of the computer screen and tried to tell his season and what this title means to him.
We leave you to his words.
“I had a few days to see everything that had happened since winning the title, but the reality was that the action was non-stop; to read so many nice messages from fans, attend so many interviews and events, and it’s a great feeling to catch up with all the media and try to express the emotions of the past few weeks. I wanted to take this opportunity to also try to put some of my experiences into words and share with you the moments that led to the title and the different feelings I went through.
“The day before the race in Valencia 2 I was particularly calm and calm. The people closest to me noticed how much I got up on the morning of race day when I got up, I didn’t really speak to anyone just because I was so focused on the goal. I remember having fried eggs for breakfast to give myself a lot of energy. Thereafter, I don’t remember much about the race; just that I was nervous on the grid but calm during the actual race. But I remember very clearly the moment when I crossed the line – it was pure ecstasy. I just started screaming and screaming, screaming at the top of my lungs! Then I got very emotional when I saw everyone around me applauding, especially my competitors! That cool down lap was something incredible with all the other drivers congratulating me and stopping to shake hands.
“Then I arrived at Parc Fermé and was so amazed to see my whole family there! They had stayed away the whole season because of the delicate situation with the virus, so it was overwhelmingly wonderful to see them there in Parc Fermé, waiting to hug me – the most beautiful and unforgettable thing in the world. The post-race celebrations with my team were fantastic too, but there wasn’t a big party in the evening as many people were expecting; I just had a very small dinner with my family – I wanted something intimate and relaxed, something safe in these difficult times. In the next few hours, I realized that I had achieved my ultimate dream. It hit me in waves as I remembered what had happened! This whole season will be unforgettable, but these moments that I celebrate with my fellow drivers, my team and my family will stay with me forever.
“This world title has a special meaning for me and the team because I can see that we really made history with this victory. It came the same year that Suzuki celebrated its 100th anniversary and 60th anniversary in racing. It’s also been 20 years since the last title – all of these statistics are impressive, and it almost seems like “fate” to me that it all happened at once.
“To be honest,That’s exactly what I was hoping for when I decided to sign with Suzuki in MotoGP. Back then I had other options and thought about them a lot, weighing and weighing the pros and cons. I was very interested in Suzuki when I suddenly thought: if I go to Suzuki and I manage to win the world championship, it will be something amazing, unforgettable … historic! And here we are celebrating a piece of history!
“I still remember my first experience with the GSX-RR: The speed was impressive, but the braking was something else! The braking power really surprised me. And the bike itself is very long, much longer than a standard bike to give better stability in fast corners, so you really have to corner it, but this year we managed to find good traction that very much helped. The GSX-RR is a really complete and balanced bike that won the title with me thanks to its adaptability to all routes and conditions. In such a strange year, consistency was the key to success, and we succeeded.
“Another reason why the success of this season feels so incredible is not just the struggles of the year in general with the terrible Covid-19 crisis, but also the problems I had last year. When I think back to the accident in Brno, I still get the same feeling that my breath was taken away, it was so scary. The fall itself and the injury were a tough moment, but the recovery was also very long and hard. It feels strange to think that after the first races of this 2020 season I was way behind the top drivers in the standings and now we’re celebrating the title. The season has been so relentless with so many laps close together that it hasn’t really arrived yet.
“Austria was a real turning point this year: I really put pressure on myself to get on the podium and when it finally happened it was a huge relief – I had released the tension in myself and all of that was finally resolved when I stood on this podium. After showing what I can do, I got a more relaxed and balanced feeling on the bike. If you were to ask me about the secret of my success, I would say this: I always set myself a goal, and when I achieve it, my hunger grows and I just can’t get enough of pursuing my goal.
“When I see the words ‘World Champion’ I am so grateful for what everyone in Suzuki and on the racing team has done for me. There is no way to really express the thanks and gratitude that I want to extend to all of the people who have supported me and helped me get to where I am now, on top of the world!
“To see my face among all the historic Suzuki champions is something magical and it makes me very honored and proud. All of us at Team Suzuki Ecstar are now part of the story, the story of an underdog company that came into MotoGP to challenge the greatest teams and finally…. WON! “