Aleix Espargaro, who will end his career as a regular MotoGP rider after the 2024 season, talks about the additional stresses and strains over the last few years
When MotoGP riders nowadays either retire of their own volition or have to say goodbye because they can no longer get a bike for the next season in the starting field, it usually happens before the age of 40. Valentino Rossi, who retired in Valencia in November 2021 at the age of 42, was the exception.
Aleix Espargaro, who will hang up his helmet as a full-time MotoGP rider at the end of the current 2024 season, will be just 35 years old in a few weeks’ time. And even for riders who are not yet 30, it is questionable whether they will remain in the MotoGP field. Examples of this are Jack Miller and Franco Morbidelli – both 29 years old, both currently without a contract for 2025.
Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez (31) recently said that it is more difficult to have a long career in the premier class these days. He explained this by saying: “It’s not difficult to get there. It’s difficult to maintain the level.” Two-time and reigning MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia recently referred to the current weekend format in this context.
Since the 2023 MotoGP season, there have been sprints on every race weekend in addition to the Grands Prix (which have already increased significantly compared to a few years ago). In the eyes of Aleix Espargaro, the additional strain this places on the riders is also a reason why retirements are happening at a younger age nowadays than they used to.
“Yes, this is especially true for those who started under the old system,” says Espargaro, adding: “It’s not easy for the over-30s like Johann [Zarco], Marc [Marquez] or myself. “
By the difficulty of adapting, Espargaro doesn’t just mean the significantly increased racing calendar: “Nowadays you have to do so much more for the press, for marketing. That has changed significantly compared to ten years ago. Back then, it was enough if you won races. But today that’s no longer enough. If you don’t have a direct connection to the fans, it’s bad for marketing.”
Has the workload away from the track simply become too great in Espargaro’s eyes? “I don’t think it’s become too much. That’s just life. The important thing is to find the right balance. When Dorna tries out new things, of course not everything is perfect right from the start. It just needs adjustments.”
Minor adjustments have already been made since the sprints were added to the weekend format. In September 2023, for example, the press conference on Saturdays was unceremoniously scrapped. Since then, the top 3 drivers in the sprint have been available for their media rounds just like the other drivers. Of course, these media rounds still take place on every day of a race weekend, i.e. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday …
Espargaro cites current Moto2 rider Fermin Aldeguer, who has a MotoGP contract with Ducati for 2025, as a counter-example to veterans like Zarco, Marquez or himself. “It will be a bit easier for Fermin next year as a 19-year-old. He will adapt to it right from the start,” says Espargaro, referring to the extensive calendar both on and off the track.
As far as Aldeguer is concerned, it is still unclear which Ducati team he will be placed in for his rookie season in the premier class. Neither Gresini nor VR46 have yet confirmed a rider for 2025. This also applies to the Pramac team, but this racing team is seriously considering a switch to Yamaha. This means that Pramac would no longer be an option for Aldeguer
