For his return to the MotoGP scene, Aleix Espargaró had to contend with a still-precarious physical condition during the Catalan Grand Prix. A wildcard for the Honda HRC Test Team, the Catalan rider finished the weekend in 17th place in the Grand Prix, demonstrating courage that was praised by all, but aware of his current limitations.
Aleix Espargaro's 2025 Catalan GP was less successful than in previous years, when he was still a regular at Aprilia. Winner in 2023 and polesitter in 2024, before taking the Sprint victory, the #41 knew his weekend would be much more complicated this time around.
Returning only a few weeks after suffering two vertebral fractures, Aleix Espargaró quickly understood that the battle would be as much mental as physical. "Today's race was very difficult, the long distance was particularly physically demanding, as I expected," he said. "I did my best and, at the start of the race, we were able to stay in the peloton, but then we had to concentrate more and more." Despite the pain, the veteran didn't give up and reached the finish line in front of his home crowd.
The main thing for the Catalan was elsewhere: to validate the maximum number of new features for Honda and to move forward with the development of the RC213V. “It was a good weekend, we were able to review a lot of the elements we had, now I still have to recover a little and prepare for my next commitments with the Test team,” he explains. “It makes me really happy to see the other Honda riders getting stronger every weekend, it's a new form of satisfaction that I feel as a test rider.” The mission was therefore accomplished, even if fatigue and pain clearly weighed in the balance.
Aleix Espargaro at the MotoGP Catalan GP © Honda HRC
