Joan Mir struggles with extreme heat in MotoGP Thailand crash

Joan Mir crashes out of the Thai Grand Prix, citing severe bike overheating issues.

Joan Mir of Spain and Honda HRC Castrol falls during the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix at Buriram International Circuit on March 2, 2025, in Buriram, Thailand. Photo by Mohd Rasfan/AFP

By Randy Ahmad and Yuni Utomo

Joan Mir endured a punishing MotoGP Thai Grand Prix, crashing out of the top ten after struggling with extreme heat at the Chang International Circuit. The Repsol Honda rider revealed that his bike was overheating so severely that it became difficult to stay on the machine, ultimately leading to his fall.

The intense conditions in Buriram also affected other riders, including Yamaha’s Alex Rins, who displayed a burned patch on his inner thigh after the race. The excessive heat proved to be a major challenge throughout the weekend, with ambient temperatures exceeding 30°C and track temperatures soaring past 50°C.

Mir battles rising heat before crashing out

Having qualified 11th for the season opener, Mir gradually worked his way up the order, securing seventh place behind Jack Miller’s Pramac Yamaha. However, his race took a disastrous turn on lap 15 of 26 when he lost control at the final corner, tucking the front of his RC213V and becoming the first rider to retire.

Initially, the incident seemed to be a result of rider error, but Mir later revealed that the overwhelming heat from his bike made it nearly impossible to stay in control.

“We were having some problems with the heat of the bike,” Mir explained. “It's something that we will continue working on, but the truth is that we made some modifications and it was worse than yesterday.

“We tried to make something at the last moment yesterday to try to improve it, and honestly, I was burning myself. It was a big challenge to stay on the bike. I think it was the worst I had on a motorbike. I was never burning like this.

“And honestly, this thing was not helping with the crash. I made a mistake, and getting burned was not helping me avoid it.”

Thailand’s extreme heat takes a toll on riders

The extreme weather conditions in Buriram posed a major challenge throughout the race weekend. With track temperatures exceeding 50°C, multiple riders struggled with overheating issues.

VR46 Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio suffered severe burns on his hands, legs, and neck, forcing him to voluntarily retire from the sprint race on Saturday. While Mir’s situation was not as extreme, he still sustained blisters from the heat radiating off his bike.

“It was the legs that were worst affected,” he said. “I have some blisters.

“I don't know what the temperature was, but it was very, very hot. It’s burning. Also, in the right-hand corners, especially the slow corners, I was burning myself.

“I crashed in the corner where I was burning myself.”

Honda faces challenges with overheating issues

Honda’s struggles with overheating have been a recurring issue, with multiple riders experiencing discomfort due to excessive heat coming from the RC213V. While Buriram’s extreme temperatures exacerbated the problem, the team will need to find a long-term solution to improve rider comfort and prevent similar issues in upcoming races.

Alex Rins, riding for Yamaha, also suffered from similar overheating problems, further highlighting the difficulties posed by the Thai Grand Prix’s extreme conditions.

As the MotoGP season progresses, teams will need to adapt to varying climate conditions, ensuring that bike setups account for high temperatures to avoid compromising rider performance and safety.