ESPARGARO: I want to support Honda in winning the MotoGP championship now that my work at April is complete.
Aleix Espargaro believes that his time at Aprilia has come to an end, and he is now eager to use his position as a test rider to assist Honda in winning the MotoGP.
Since 2017, Espargaro has been an essential part of Aprilia’s MotoGP program, and he has received a lot of praise for turning the RS-GP from a machine that consistently finishes last to one that consistently wins races.
But rather than staying with the Noale-based brand, which Motorsport.com believes would have been challenging anyhow owing to financial constraints, the Spaniard has chosen to retire alongside current driver Stefan Bradl in 2025 and join Honda’s expanding test unit.
In contrast to Aprilia, which is still the only manufacturer to defeat Ducati in a grand prix, Honda is experiencing its worst-ever run in the history of the premier class, with only 24 points after nine races.
However, the 34-year-old feels that he has accomplished all of his goals in his current position and is eager to bring his skills to HRC so that he can work on fixing the troubled RC213V.
“I’m not sure why, but I feel that my work in Aprilia is over,” he said at the Sachsenring. “I completed everything. Throughout the eight seasons, I put in a ton of effort to assist them succeed. My work is over.
“[Lorenzo] Savadori is a fantastic test rider for them, and he is doing admirably. Thus, I see it as a great chance to join HRC and a fantastic source of inspiration.
“Undoubtedly, they are not at their best right now. It would be great if I could assist them in rising to the top once more.
“I’ve been in discussions with the top Japanese management, and they genuinely believe and trust in me,” he continued. I choose to go because of this since it’s an incredibly fantastic opportunity.
Espargaro believes he can contribute more to HRC than simply his technical knowledge, stating he can be instrumental in improving the environment in the garage for race riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini.
He remarked, “It’s not just about technical stuff. Of course, I’ll try to improve the bike’s level, like I did with Aprilia, but I’ll also try to be a team player by working with the riders and being in the garage to create the atmosphere that I feel like I do during these eight seasons in Aprilia.”
It’s crucial, yet they also genuinely need this.
“They are missing everything,” he continued. Consider how challenging it must be for a team like HRC to win every weekend while finishing [nearly] always outside of the points. Thus, this is an emotional jolt.
“Joan Mir, for instance, was a world champion before he started having trouble finishing races.”
Alongside six-time champion Marc Marquez, Espargaro’s younger brother Pol had a difficult two years in the factory Honda team in 2021–2022, which essentially ended his MotoGP racing career early.
The older Espargaro, however, is certain that he won’t have the same problems in assisting in the team’s transformation because of the new attitude Honda is implementing in MotoGP, having discussed this with the company’s upper management.
“They were winning the previous year when Pol got there,” he remarked. “It has not been simple for Honda to comprehend what is going on mentally during the previous three or four seasons.”
Thus, I believe that they have now realized how much they need to change. They truly believe in me, and I am grateful for the chance they provided me. It goes without saying that as they represent the largest brand in this paddock, they must be returning to the top and competing for the titles.
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