For Pol Espargaro, the MotoGP of 2014, when he was promoted, and the MotoGP of today are worlds apart – which he believes is the fundamental problem
At 32, Pol Espargaro is one of the longest-serving MotoGP riders. The Spaniard has been competing in the premier class since 2014, so he has ten seasons under his belt, riding Yamaha, KTM and Honda. Comparing then with now, he says: “It’s like night and day. It has become more physical. “
“Of course, the M1 is the least physically demanding bike,” says Espargaro, looking back on his years at Tech 3 Yamaha. “But it’s true that the category itself has become more demanding with all the technology, and not just physically, but also mentally.”
“You have to pay a lot of attention while riding – with all the devices. The starting procedure alone is a challenge,” he emphasizes. “And then you also have to be much more accurate because the difference between the drivers is so small.”
“Half a tenth of a second decides whether you reach Q2 or are out. It’s important to be accurate with the electronics.” However, Espargaro believes that one thing falls by the wayside: the fun.
“No, it’s not more fun. It makes the category tighter, which makes it more fun for us and for the people out there. But for the riders it doesn’t mean more fun, it means more stress,” says the Spaniard. To change that, development would have to be scaled back in one area in particular
Espargaro: Aerodynamics take up too much space
“You shouldn’t overdo it with aerodynamics. The problem is that nobody expected it to become such a big issue at the beginning. If it had been banned straight away, we wouldn’t be at this point now,” says Espargaro.
“A lot of resources are now being put into this area, and that will continue to increase. It increases the top speed of the bikes, it improves acceleration, turning and braking without changing the chassis or the engine. So it has become a very big issue.”
“Perhaps a ban would have been better for the competition right from the start, but you can’t predict things like that,” says the Spaniard. With today’s machines, their wing elements and devices, it is not only the physicality that is challenged. “It’s also simply much more stressful on the bike.”
“You have to adjust, activate and deactivate a lot while riding. There are a lot of systems running and that makes it very stressful,” says the 32-year-old.
“Then we now also have two races per weekend. This schedule is not only physically stressful, but above all mentally stressful. This also makes it increasingly difficult to stay in MotoGP for as many years as before. “
“We’ve seen how many injuries there have been. And when you’re 20, 22 years old, it’s easier to recover. But when you’re around 30 years old, I can tell you from experience that it’s anything but easy.” Espargaro suffered a serious injury himself at the start of the season and had to take a long break
Zarco also says: “Of course it’s become tougher “
He is still working on finding his old form again. He has lost his regular place in MotoGP for 2024 and will act as a test and replacement rider for KTM.
A few wildcards are also planned. However, Espargaro will not have the stress of a full racing calendar – unlike Johann Zarco, who will have to adapt to a new team and bike in 2024 following his switch from Pramac-Ducati to LCR-Honda.
“Now I’ve arrived in this category. I have a different approach. But of course it has become tougher,” says Zarco when asked what makes the difference for him from when he started in MotoGP.
“You have to prepare well for the intensity of the weekends now that there is the sprint on Saturday and the long race on Sunday. The tires are more consistent than they were six years ago. In the past, you could make a difference between a new tire and a used tire.”
“It seems that it’s harder to make that difference now. Everything has evolved a lot. I’m happy to still be a part of it. But with all the races we have in the year, you have to find your rhythm. That’s the most important thing to perform consistently,” said the Frenchman.