Despite the fact that in Jerez he was only able to do one lap with it, before his Honda had electronic problems, Joan Mir already made a good impression in that test with the new Kalex chassis that the golden wing has commissioned from the German factory, and on Friday at the French GP he was able to do many more laps with it and corroborate those feelings. The conclusion is that the 2020 champion also blesses that Kalex frame, but makes it clear that there are more points to work on so that this RC213V is finally a winning bike for all audiences.
“Went well. In the morning I felt very good, everything came out very naturally, in quotes everything was very easy, and the truth is that we have decided to continue later with that chassis because we believe that in the long term it could have a little more potential”. The Spaniard begins by saying before asking him what the new chassis brings, to which he answers: “It’s going much better. It’s different but I like how it goes in the middle of the corner because of how it turns and the grip also seems a bit better, but you have to understand what this chassis needs to be fast. It’s not just putting it with the other’s settings, it still needs something a little different and this afternoon the truth is that it was a shame because in the morning you’re able to do 31 very easily, but then this afternoon it was a shame because if in the morning you are able to do 31 very easily, but then this afternoon I couldn’t stay within half a second of this morning’s time. I have been the only one not to go down. It’s a shame, I think we could have had a little bit of room to get past because I think we did a good job this morning, but I’m not there yet.
On whether he has the feeling that this chassis will be the element that will make them take the final leap, Mir says: “It can help a little. because we are seeing that with two tenths you get ahead or not. If it can help a little to gain a tenth or half a tenth per lap and be a little more comfortable, apart from that, they don’t even talk about time anymore, they talk about comfort, about riding a little better. That would help a lot, in the turn, but that’s not the only thing we lack, because in top speed we are last. Here more things are missing to take a bigger step forward, but even with this maybe we can fight, who knows”.
Regarding tomorrow’s plan, he comments: “I have a new chassis and I have to talk to the team because I don’t know what their plan is tomorrow. They have to see all the data and all this, but I think that tomorrow the intention is to go with the same. If it has been damaged in the fall? No no no”.
And his final conclusion: “For the first time this weekend and this year I have been permanently in front since FP1, I mean it’s okay, a little better and so on, but I don’t think it’s just the chassis. I think we have to work a little more and find some more top speed as I said and work on the small details. It is not putting a chassis with the same setting and making it the bomb, because it is not reality”.
