Marco Bezzecchi
Aleix Espargaro has now officially started his role as a test rider for the Honda MotoGP team. The turn of the year typically marks the transition point from one contract to the next.
Espargaro announced ahead of the Catalunya Grand Prix back in May that he would retire at the end of the season. He entered just short of 300 races in the premier class.
The Spaniard made his debut with Pramac back in 2009 but spent the last eight seasons of his career with Aprilia. He rode for the Aprilia-supported Gresini team for the first five years, and then the newly established factory squad from 2022.
While Espargaro never won a title, he did collect six Grand Prix victories, 10 poles and 17 podiums. And that will make him a real asset to Honda in his new role.
Honda formally announced at the start of July that he’d join for 2025, working alongside Stefan Bradl. He will support the rider line-up of Joan Mir and Luca Marini.
Espargaro already had the opportunity to ride the Honda bike at the post-season test in Barcelona. He outpaced Mir and while the times don’t necessarily matter, it seems he adapted quickly.
Joan Mir fired up to work alongside Aleix Espargaro at Honda in 2025
On New Year’s Day, the Honda MotoGP Instagram account noted that Espargaro’s arrival was ‘officially official’. They were able to formally welcome him to their operation.
Mir shared the post on his story, writing ‘Ready to work hard together’. Espargaro then replied to his compatriot with a story of his own, adding ‘Let’s go jefe’.
It remains to be seen whether Mir and Espargaro share the track during any races this season. Like their fellow manufacturers, Honda will be able to hand out wildcard appearances.
They used up the maximum allocation for Bradl last season. The German scored two points, with a best finish of P14 in San Marino.
Aleix Espargaro has already done one thing to give Honda hope for the 2025 MotoGP season
Honda are coming off the back of a bitterly disappointing 2024 campaign. They finished bottom of the teams’ standings with just 35 points, less than half what satellite squad LCR managed.
Mir and Marini ended up 21st and 22nd respectively, with 21 and 14 points. They were also nearly 50 adrift of Yamaha at the bottom of the constructors’.
While he isn’t a full-time rider, Honda will look to Espargaro to help lift them from the mire. And his MotoGP track record suggests he’s capable of doing so.
When he joined the Aprilia stable in 2017, they were the slowest constructor on the grid. But by 2022, they were able to compete for victories and podiums – the kind of revival Honda are aiming for.
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