Marco Bezzecchi
Aleix Espargaro initially had no interest in joining Aprilia, but after he saw the reality of his situation with Suzuki, he knew he had to do something.
After a difficult 2024 season, Aleix Espargaro decided to end his MotoGP career and become a test rider for Honda.
Few remember just how well Espargaro did during the peak of his powers, especially after he joined Aprilia in 2017.
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While Espargaro certainly found the Aprilia bike challenging, his eight-year stint with the team managed to be the most defining of his career.
However, according to Aleix Espargaro, when he was first pitched a move to Aprilia, he didn’t want to make the jump.
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Aleix Espargaro reveals he initially rejected Aprilia because of ‘big ego’
Speaking with Dans le Boite a Gans, Aleix Espargaro revealed that he didn’t want to join Aprilia when first offered the chance due to his big ego as a young rider.
He noted that his experience with Suzuki, one of the biggest teams in MotoGP at the time, had led to him seeing Aprilia as a step down, even after Suzuki decided against keeping him as a rider.
“It’s quite a funny story because I was racing for Suzuki… I felt at that time, I was not winning races, but as a rider, you have a big ego.
“I felt that I was on top of the world. I was a Suzuki rider with a big contract and the best sponsors. Then suddenly, BOOM! Suzuki decides to change the riders.
“Aprilia called me. I remember (thinking), ‘I cannot go to Aprilia. They’re finishing last in the grid!’ So for one or two months, I was saying, ‘No, I don’t care about the offer, Aprilia, I will not come.’
READ MORE: Aleix Espargaro says Dani Pedrosa’s weight made him ‘impossible’ to catch on straights
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Aleix Espargaro admits his manager had to convince him to accept Aprilia ‘challenge’
Espargaro noted that it was his agent who told him that he wasn’t going to get a better offer than Aprilia, especially as Suzuki were going replace him as a rider.
“And after one or two months, my manager said to me, ‘Aleix, I think this is the best offer you have. You have to really think about going to Aprilia.’
“Then I started to talk with them. And I said to myself, ‘Okay, this is the big challenge of your life. You have to prove to everybody that you are not retiring.’
“Because I remember reading many things that said it’s going to be the end of your career, one or two seasons more, and you will be at home. I said, ‘Okay, I will show you what I’m capable of.’”
In the end, Espargaro’s move to Aprilia proved to be the best of his career, as he made a home with the team and found success at different points.
Espargaro earned each of his three career Grand Prix wins at Aprilia, along with 10 of the 12 podiums he earned in his career.
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