As Motorsport.com reports, Honda will be forced to contest the Australian Grand Prix with a severely depleted lineup, fielding just one machine at Phillip Island as Joan Mir remains sidelined by ongoing health issues and test rider Aleix Espargaró prepares for surgery.
Since retiring from the San Marino GP race on 13 September, the Honda HRC rider Mir has not competed due to persistent health problems affecting his energy and performance. According to a Honda statement, Mir and his medical team are working intensively toward a return, but the Australian event has arrived too soon for the Spaniard. Little concrete news has emerged regarding his condition beyond the initial alarm. On Saturday at Misano, the rider admitted to media that he was not feeling well, stating, "I don't feel 100%, not even 50%," following a 20th-place finish in the sprint race. He retired after five laps of Sunday's Grand Prix and travelled to Barcelona for tests that revealed altered blood parameters requiring further investigation.
Initial team announcements suggested Mir would miss Austria before returning in Japan, but a subsequent update on 22 September ruled him out of both Motegi and Mandalika. At the time, MotoGP medical director Dr Angel Charte prescribed complete rest and rehabilitation therapy for a 15-day period that has now elapsed. "Joan Mir has been experiencing various symptoms affecting his energy and performance for several months, which have recently worsened; for the time being, the exact cause is unknown," Dr Charte explained, noting that the rider is undergoing a series of tests at Dexeus University Hospital for a definitive diagnosis.
To make matters worse for the Japanese manufacturer, test rider Aleix Espargaró is also unavailable. After voluntarily withdrawing from the Indonesian Grand Prix, Espargaró travelled to Malaysia to complete two days of testing the 850cc Honda RC214V—the 2027 bike—at the Sepang International Circuit, where he once again suffered from chronic exertional compartment syndrome. Honda explained that the development rider will not travel to Australia and will instead undergo surgery in Barcelona in the coming days.
While regulations require teams to field two riders, the compounding absences of Mir, Espargaró, and Takaaki Nakagami—who suffered a crash while making a wild-card appearance at the Japanese GP three weeks ago—have left the team unable to field a full squad. Consequently, only Luca Marini will fly the flag for the manufacturer this weekend at Phillip Island's farewell as a venue for MotoGP Grands Prix.
