The Spaniard’s title defence last year proved difficult, as a lack of development on the GSX-RR meant he could do no better than third in the standings and failed to add to his victory tally.
While Mir is yet to score a podium in 2022 while teammate Alex Rins has two – including last weekend at COTA, which was Suzuki’s 500th in grand prix racing – he has finished every race so far inside the top six and is just 15 points from the championship lead in fourth.
Having struggled with rear grip in Qatar, Mir feels Suzuki has been on an upward trajectory since then and believes it is starting to make “less to more” races - where it comes on strong in the closing laps due to better tyre management - like it did in 2020 when he won the title.
“I think in Europe, we will make that click that we are missing at the moment,” Mir said at COTA after finishing fourth. “In Argentina we did a really good race, in Mandalika also in the wet.
“In Qatar we saw that we missed something, but the truth is from Qatar to now I’ve started to feel a lot better. We’re starting to make races like in 2020, from less to more and trying to give the 100% of the potential of our bike.
“So, let’s continue like that. I think that this year if we are focused and we are able to make that next click with this bike that I think we can do it, we will fight again for a good position at the end of the season for sure.”
Commenting on his COTA race, Mir added: “Considering that it’s a track that… during the weekend I didn’t want to say, because negative comments don’t help.
“But this track is just different than the others and I don’t enjoy riding on this track. And also it’s a track that when you don’t enjoy riding, you always miss something.
“So, to be able to finish here in fourth position is something great. It means we are doing steps forward, positive ones. We came from behind and the last part of the race was a positive one.
“And step by step I was overtaking and I was feeling great. I’m so pleased about everything is going. Fourth position is always a position you don’t want to finish in. Fifth or third is always better. But anyway, it’s great.”
