Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir is hoping a return to Assen will bring a return to the MotoGP rostrum ahead of the five week holiday.

Mir enjoyed just four laps of the Sachsenring race before sliding out at turn one last weekend, just after Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia suffered the same fate.

After a challenging start to 2022, the 2020 Champion has a trio of fourth positions as his best results to date, with ten races so far under his belt. It’s a pattern he’s hoping to break this weekend at the Dutch layout.

“I can’t dwell on what happened last weekend,” Mir said ahead of the final action in a hectic month. “I’m feeling glad that we’ve been able to come straight to Assen and get back to work.

“It has been probably the hardest first part of the season of my career but these times are the ones that make you stronger.

“As I mentioned at Sachsenring, I’ve been feeling better with my bike and we’ve been able to begin ironing out a few small things that have been troubling us. We've always been competitive in Assen. Our bike fits well, I guess, on that track. So let's see what we can do.

“Last year in Assen I got a podium and it was fantastic, especially with so much support from the fans. This year, more than anything, I want to go to the summer break with a good finish in the bag.”