The 2024 MotoGP season has not really gone according to plan for AAleix Espargaro so far, only at the season opener in Qatar did he make it into the top three in the sprint. After that, Aprilia teammate Maverick Vinales had him clearly under control, and the 34-year-old veteran has so far had nothing to do with the hoped-for world championship fight. The announcement on Thursday that he would end his MotoGP career as a regular rider at the end of the season was therefore not really surprising.
But it is precisely this decision that now seems to have released unexpected powers in the Catalan, who grew up in Granollers, just outside Barcelona. Almost exactly 24 hours after announcing his retirement, Espargaro stormed into practice for the Catalonia GP on Friday afternoon, setting a record lap to achieve the best time of the day and thus becoming the favorite for the rest of the weekend. He was almost half a second behind his teammate Vinales – a performance difference that had not been seen for a long time.
Aleix Espargaro does not regret his retirement: It is the right decision!
Does the outgoing Aprilia captain already regret his retirement at the end of the season in view of this performance? The clear answer: No! “Yesterday was an incredible day, one of the best in my life. When I woke up today, my first thought was that I had made the right decision,” Espargaro said, giving an insight into his feelings and describing: “I woke up very happy, relaxed and relieved. When I was with Max [Sohn, Anm.] When I had breakfast in the motorhome, it felt like home. I was super relaxed and therefore drove super relaxed. I’m glad I made this decision.”
So this is not a spontaneous departure from the planned end of his career. But what will happen to Espargaro now? After all, it is an open secret in the MotoGP paddock that the Catalan will probably take on a test driver role as early as 2025 – like his brother Pol Espargaro does at KTM – and will also complete one or two wildcard assignments in this context. On Thursday he did not want to reveal anything about this and initially kept quiet on Friday, but then made a surprising confession.
Aleix Espargaro: test rider for Honda or Yamaha?
“I don’t want to talk about my future. I had eight wonderful years here [bei Aprilia, Anm.] and want to end the season on a high. But I don’t think I’ll stay with Aprilia,” revealed Espargaro, opening the door for a move to another MotoGP manufacturer. The struggling giants from Japan in particular will have listened carefully, as they are currently trying everything to return to their former strength. An experienced rider like Espargaro, who has already transformed Aprilia from a MotoGP backbencher into a top team, should be a good fit for both Honda and Yamaha.
The 34-year-old already let it be known a few weeks ago that he is not averse to such a challenge. You can find all the information in the following article: