Espargaro “feels more like a cyclist than a MotoGP rider” ahead of Spanish GP wildcard 

Retired from full-time MotoGP competition since last year, Aleix Espargaro will return to racing this weekend at Jerez as a Honda test rider. Clad in unfamiliar HRC colours ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, he revealed that his life has become very different since his last race for Aprilia at the Barcelona finale last year. 

Espargaro has begun taking part in competitive cycling races since he was last seen in a MotoGP paddock, and the Spaniard says things feel different as he gets set to take part in his 340th grand prix (all classes) this Sunday. 

The 35-year-old rose to prominence relatively late in his career, with his first MotoGP not coming until 2022, 18 years after making his debut in the 125cc class. After hanging up his full-time race leathers late last year, Espargaro says he now feels more at home wearing a cyclist’s jersey. 

Having always had a passion for the sport, he has taken things to the next level in retirement by signing with the Lidl-Trek team. His professional debut came just under a month ago in a Gravel World Series race, where he finished seventh.

“I feel more like a cyclist than a MotoGP rider right now because I’m spending so much more time on the bicycle. But I’ll always be a rider, and I’m very proud to wear HRC’s colours. At the same time, it’s a huge responsibility,” Espargaro said on Thursday at the Andalusian circuit, admitting he arrived feeling “nervous.”

When he decided to retire, returning to switch his brain off during time attacks or biting his nails on the starting grid wasn’t part of the plan. This wildcard entry is his first – and likely not his last – of the season. “Racing wasn’t in my plans, but it’s also true that there’s no better testing ground for the components we’re developing than a grand prix. 

“I’ll probably do another [wildcard], but I’m not planning on many more,” Espargaro clarified, adding he hasn’t once regretted stepping away: “I watched the first race, in Thailand, from the couch. That’s when I realised I’d made the right decision.”

Aleix Espargaro, Team HRC

Photo by: HRC

Now comfortably settled in Andorra with his wife Laura and their six-year-old twins, Max and Mia, the Catalan splits his time between mountain climbs and breakneck descents – all by bike – while occasionally climbing aboard a 300-horsepower Honda. In that sense, the muscle mass he’s gained will likely help with changes in direction.

Over the past three years, the golden-winged brand – MotoGP’s most successful – has lost its way, a downward spiral worsened by Marc Marquez’s departure ahead of the 2024 season. When he became available after the final race, Honda’s leadership turned to Espargaro to help steer the sleeping giant back on course. The manufacturer hasn’t won a title since Marquez’s 2019 crown.

In this new chapter, Espargaro is working alongside Romano Albesiano, his former technical director at Aprilia, with whom the rider from Granollers (outside Barcelona) achieved the three wins listed on his resume.

Together with Albesiano and a group of Japanese engineers who join every test, Espargaro has discarded countless parts to build a configuration of the RC213V that he’ll race in Jerez – one quite different from the bikes used by the rest of Honda’s riders.

“My bike will not be the same as that of [full-time factory riders] Joan Mir and Luca Marini this weekend,” he said. “I have a lot of new stuff. Hopefully I can prove that it’s a little bit more competitive and they will receive it in the near future.

“Honda is working flat out to improve, and it’s only a matter of time before they’re competitive again. I hope that, in time, I can earn a name for myself and the respect of the riders. The most important thing is that Joan and Luca value my work.”

Espargaro says the target for him this weekend is development rather than results, but it’s worth noting that he took pole position for Aprilia at the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez in 2023.