Aleix Espargaró is back! After hanging up his helmet in 2024, the former Aprilia rider is donning his racing suit once again for an exciting challenge: riding the Honda RC213V at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, as a test rider. The goal? To boost Honda's development, which is showing promising signs, and to gather as much data as possible on a circuit he knows perfectly.
Aleix Espargaró returns to MotoGP action. Less than a year after retiring from a long career with Aprilia, the Catalan veteran is preparing to put the leather back on at Spanish Grand Prix, this time as a test driver… for Honda.
It is on the well-known route of Jerez, the scene of many defining moments in his career, thatI will espargaro will make its racing debut with the RC213V, a bike as legendary as it has been capricious in recent years. A clear mission: accelerate the development of the Japanese prototype, which is currently undergoing a technical and strategic overhaul.
« Back to the race! After a busy winter with the Honda HRC test team, Aleix Espargaró will make his racing debut with the Honda RC213V at the Spanish GP ", announced the brand on its social networks.
Back racing!
After a busy winter working away with the Honda HRC Test Team, @AleixEspargaro will make his racing debut on the Honda RC213V at the #SpanishGP 🇪🇸
A valuable boost as we keep working on developments and improvements to return to the front. pic.twitter.com/6tWceLM1ox
— Honda HRC Castrol – MotoGP (@HRC_MotoGP) April 18, 2025
Aleix Espargaró's expectations: realistic but ambitious
And the timing is not insignificant. Honda finally seems to be getting its head above water. After seasons of drifting, profound adjustments are beginning to bear fruit. Johann zarco, brilliant with the LCR satellite, is currently the best pilot Honda in the general classification with 38 points and a sixth place. Luca marini meanwhile, has three consecutive top 10s, while Joan mir stay back and that Somkiat Chantra struggles to score his first points.
The experience ofI will espargaro could therefore be crucial. A fine technician, demanding rider and expert on the behavior of MotoGP prototypes, he will provide direct feedback on the Honda in real race conditions, much more revealing than simple private tests.
His goal isn't glory, but feedback, analysis, and data. However, knowing Aleix's combative nature, there's no doubt he'll give his all to secure a solid result in front of his Andalusian home crowd.
A quick return in MotoGP, certainly, but highly strategic for HRC: by enlisting a pilot of the caliber ofI will espargaro in an official race, Honda confirms its seriousness in its quest for renewal.
