Aleix Espargaró had managed to score his first points with Honda as a wildcard, but a penalty received after the race ended up placing him 17th.
After retiring as a regular driver at the end of last season, Aleix Espargaró opened a new chapter in his career by becoming a test driver for Honda. The Spaniard participated in his first wild-card race this weekend, at the Spanish Grand Prix. In addition to getting to grips with the RC213V over the course of a weekend, he found that several months off at the highest level made a real difference on track.
On Saturday, he made no secret of his frustration at finding himself so far behind the performance he was used to, having been fighting for podiums just six months ago. He also had to get to grips with a bike he doesn't yet know as well as the Aprilia, which he developed with the manufacturer for several years. Qualifying 19th, he finished the sprint race in 18th position.
"I think I am aware of my job, which is not to fight for the podiums.", did he declare. "I'm starting to realize it, but at the same time, when you're a rider for HRC, you have to be at a very, very high level. And yesterday I wasn't. It's true that since the Malaysian test I've hardly ridden and several months have passed. We also had tests canceled in Jerez due to the rain, but that's not a criticism. It's true that yesterday I wanted to be more competitive, as I was today."
This Sunday, the length of the race allowed him to better find his bearings and gradually move up, also taking advantage of the falls in front of him. Ten laps from the finish, he took 14th place and, five laps before the checkered flag, he was even 13th. However, he was overtaken by Marc Márquez, who was in full recovery after his fall, and crossed the finish line in 14th place. Unfortunately, a tire pressure problem earned him a 16-second penalty, which ultimately placed him 17th, depriving him of the first two points he had managed to score with Honda.
"I'm happy with what we did. We just need a little time and we can be closer to the other Honda riders. I felt better with every lap, and at the halfway point I was practically on the same time as the other Honda riders. It was a solid weekend. The most important thing is that our comments matched those of the other riders, and we have more information for our work.", he added.
Aleix Espargaró will not be on track this Monday for the official test and will be replaced by Takaaki Nakagami, who Honda wanted on the bike in order to prepare him for the French Grand Prix, in which he will participate.
Spanish Grand Prix Results :
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
