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2024 will be a very different year from the previous ones for Pol Espargaró who, for the first time in over 17 years of his career in the World Championship, will be leaving his role as full-time rider for that of test rider for KTM. He’ll also be leaving the RC16 of the GasGas Factory Racing Tech3 team in the hands of Pedro Acosta. This is a moment of transition for the 32-year-old rider who accepted the proposal of the Pierer Mobility Group, and took a step back, after reassessing his life and career in the months following his serious accident in Portimao.
“I had a very, very bad time because of the pain. I didn’t even think about the bikes.They were what I cared less about,” Pol told the Spanish newspaper Relevo. “When you’re away and you realize all this, you obviously value other things, and you say to yourself: ‘Well, maybe that’s not what I want for my future’. During this period, I figured out many things. I understood how much I need, what I have around me, my wife, my daughters ... And that, without them, I’m just an athlete. This was also fundamental for the decision I made, to be more with my family and to love and value what I have more.”
Polyccio has no regrets and is ready to explore the opportunities offered by this new chapter of his career.
“It’ll, first of all, be a moment to recuperate who I was, also in terms of confidence, physique, and even a little quality of life. I’ll spend more time with myself and my family,” he commented. “I don’t know about the future. Maybe, after this winter, I’ll be back in shape and, even mentally, I’ll be ready to be competitive and return to racing. Or maybe I’ll say that I really like it this way, and that I don’t want to compete again because it doesn’t pay off. The problem is that of having never been in this position. I’ve never felt what I’m going to feel now. So, to tell you the truth, I’m a bit scared of what lies ahead, but also eager to see what my future will look like and how I’ll feel. It’s something new, and everything new definitely brings something new.”
Espargaró: “I expected Marquez to leave Honda, I would’ve done the same”
A different scenario from the prospect of being a tester had, in fact, already been proposed to the rider from Spain, who could have returned to Honda as Marc Marquez’s successor, but preferred to reject the offer.
“I don’t feel physically fit enough to be able to choose something like that. I’m not competitive enough, and you have to be responsible. You work for a company and, if you don’t think you can give your best. It’s a scam. So I didn’t want to do it,” the youngest of the Espargaró brothers explained. He then provided his own point of view on the delicate moment that the Tokyo constructor went through: "It doesn’t surprise me, because I experienced it from the inside, and I know the work system they had. I don’t know if that’s what they still have, but it wasn’t the right one. Having said that, I understand that, little by little, they’ll change, they’ll adapt to the more European style that’s working the most, and it won’t take long for them to return to the top. I think they'll make it, and they deserve it, because they’ve suffered a lot. It’s a constructor that has done a lot for this sport and deserves to return to the top.”
Although convinced of Honda’s immense potential, Pol wasn’t surprised by his former teammates decision to leave the Japanese constructor after 11 years.
“I expected it,” he admitted. “Marc is still a young rider, who still has a lot of desire to win and a lot of talent to prove. And of course, seeing the results that Ducati riders are achieving, what can I say? I would’ve done the same thing. Even if I took the money I received from Honda, I would’ve done exactly the same thing. It’s not a matter of money. It’s a matter of being competitive. He wants to continue to be competitive, and I respect that one hundred percent.”
Instead, speaking of his successor, Acosta, Espargaró added: “He has an incredible talent. I know that Pedro is an ambitious guy, who works hard, and not only has a lot of talent, but also everything else. And I think this is really necessary to be in the MotoGP. Difficult years await him, because the MotoGP is complicated, but I’m convinced that he has people near him and that he himself has the ability to suffer and reach as high as possible.”
