Tobias Mühlbauer
Formula 1 & Motorcycle Department
MotoGP and Formula 1, that’s my thing. I turned my passion into my job at MSM and have been there for you ever since when engines roar.MORE
A grin says more than words: Aleix Espargaro about to join Honda
As our well-connected colleague Oriol Puigdemont from autosport.com and Marca report, Espargaro will be leaving his long-time employer Aprilia. The veteran had already hinted at this in Barcelona. Instead, he is drawn to the competition. Honda is said to be close to signing the Catalan. Espargaro only said at the weekend in Mugello that he was not allowed to say anything. But the grin on his face was very telling.
The former Japanese MotoGP giants are in the biggest crisis of their long and successful motorcycle history. The four riders from the factory team and LCR regularly finish in last place. Espargaro’s experience and expertise would naturally come in handy here. The Catalan is credited with playing a large part in the fact that Aprilia’s MotoGP project, which was initially laughed at, has now become a serious candidate for podium finishes and victory. Espargaro himself has won 3 Grand Prix and 2 sprints in the last two years. Results that Honda can currently only dream of.
Honda expands test team: Stefan Bradl stays
For German fans, the appointment of Espargaro naturally raises the question of what will become of the current Honda test rider Stefan Bradl. Bradl says he will continue to stay with the Japanese. The Bavarian made this statement as part of his work as an expert on ServusTV. Having several test riders is no longer unusual in MotoGP. KTM even has three of them under contract: Dani Pedrosa, Pol Espargaro and Jonas Folger.
Since Honda is classified in rank D in the new MotoGP concessions, the Japanese can test almost unlimitedly. Increasing the number of test pilots to two definitely makes sense, especially since the classification will hardly change in light of the current results. The only question is whether Bradl will still be able to use the wildcard, or whether Espargaro will primarily test new parts in racing from 2025. 6 wildcards are available in rank D.
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