Pol Espargaro was already in tears before the start of his last MotoGP race – what he plans for the future and what brother Aleix says
For many MotoGP riders, this year’s season finale in Valencia marked a farewell because it was their last race with their current team. But for Pol Espargaro, it was his last race as a regular rider for the time being. In 2024, the Spaniard will mainly have to follow the premier class from the sidelines.
Although Espargaro originally had a contract with Tech-3-GasGas until the end of 2024, KTM ultimately gave preference to Augusto Fernandez and MotoGP newcomer Pedro Acosta.
Espargaro will act as a test and replacement rider in 2024 and will certainly also contest some wildcard events. Nevertheless, his last stint as a regular rider was “very emotional”, says the 32-year-old. “Especially on the grid.”
“Every time I lifted my head up and saw all the people and the tension before a race start became palpable, it was really hard to control my emotions.” At his side, alongside his team, was brother Aleix
Support and comfort from brother Aleix
“Even on the grid, I felt the need to go to Pol and help him. It was his last race,” explained the Aprilia rider, who held his younger brother in his arms for a long time to give him strength. After the lap, the two rode one last lap together on the way back to the pits
Brothers love ❤️ Emotional moment on the grid today as @AleixEspargaro came to hug his little brother for his last race of the season. We are not crying, you are @polespargaro ValenciaGP MotoGP Pol44 pic. twitter.com/VqHm0GWqO5
– Tech3 Racing (@Tech3Racing) November 26, 2023
“Riding this lap together was very emotional,” says the older Espargaro. “We started together when we were five years old. We spent many years together in the World Championship. He was always my idol. He always beat me when I was a kid. He was always my reference.”
“So it was also a very special day for me. I went to his garage after the race and grabbed his helmet. Now I have his last racing helmet. “
Despite crashing, still finishes in 14th place
Espargaro finished the Grand Prix in 14th and last place after crashing a few laps before the end. “I tried to keep Fabio behind me, but my tire on the left side was already pretty much gone,” he explained.
“I tried to brake as late as possible, because I was inferior in terms of acceleration. But then I probably braked a bit too late and crashed.” At the same time, Espargaro emphasizes: “It wasn’t like I was braking like crazy either.”
“The problem is that as soon as your rear tire degrades, you can no longer brake as hard, and that causes the temperature in the front tire to drop. In combination with the weather, this makes it more difficult. As soon as you make a small mistake or are even just a little over the limit, it immediately takes its toll. “
Heartbreak for @polespargaro
Not the send-off he hoped for as only 13 riders remain in the race ValenciaGP PECCOvsMARTIN pic. twitter.com/1KIgCSV7fX
– MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) November 26, 2023
Despite the crash, Espargaro was still able to bring his bike home. “Up until that moment, I was less than ten seconds off the lead in a long race,” analyzed the Tech 3 GasGas rider. “So that wasn’t too bad, I think it was even one of our best races of the year. “
Espargaro still not fully fit
When asked about his future, the Spaniard said: “This day closes a chapter in my life. I’ll still be racing, but it won’t be the same.”
“I will try to be competitive and continue to recover from my crash (at the season opener in Portimao), because I’m not back to full strength yet. But hopefully in the future I can do some good races like Dani (Perdosa) and help them develop.”
We remember: Espargaro crashed heavily at the beginning of the training session for the Portuguese Grand Prix, breaking several vertebrae and his jaw. This was followed by a long recovery phase and an arduous battle back onto the track
Even eight months after the accident, the 32-year-old still says: “I need time. I thought I could build up the muscle mass again much faster. But you never know how quickly the nerves and all that will recover 100 percent.”
“I still have muscles that are only at 40 percent of their actual strength. That doesn’t bother me so much when I’m riding. But over the long distance, with the sprint race in my bones, my body gives up. It collapses, especially in the left-hand bends. I can feel it after ten, eleven, twelve laps.”
Espargaro wants to continue working on this during the winter break. “There are plans for medication and treatment to push the nerves to the limit and strengthen them. I will also visit the Athlete Performance Center in Austria to use the technologies there and eliminate my weak points. “
