Let's talk MotoGP: Aleix Espargaro is not who you think

It's official since last Friday: Aleix Espargaro will retire at the end of the year; another emblematic rider of the MotoGP championship who is leaving. However, I often have the impression that it is not appreciated at its true value, particularly in France. There are things to say about this announcement, so here we go for a several-point analysis.

 

A very large

 

Firstly, I wanted to congratulate Aleix Espargaro for his career, which I judge, personally, . I consider him one of the best since 2013, when he had not yet tasted the joys of victory. We will have ample opportunity to study his profile, his atypical history with this descent into Moto2 before returning to MotoGP, but also, its impact on the grid, its legacy.

I am aware that he is not liked by the French public, in particular, for reasons that are, in my opinion, quite obscure. Ounderstood well that he did not get along with Johann Zarco, that is perhaps the cause. But there are two points that I absolutely wanted to come back to. First, on the track, he was one of the most talented of the last decade. He achieved unprecedented feats on machines CRT and Open, helped bring Suzuki up, then brilliantly embodied Aprilia at the highest level. What he is capable of doing on an inferior machine, from this velocity on a lap – his career strong point, which he demonstrated again in Catalonia – to his resilience and his great sense of overtaking, few pride themselves on it in the history of Grands Prix.

 

 

Second, his behavior. Okay, he talks a lot. It is controversial in a way. But I never understood why this posed a problem to a good number of spectators, who, at the same time, regret the past, where the character of the drivers was even more marked, “back when you could say anything”. We cannot remember these periods with nostalgia and at the same time criticize Aleix Espargaro for his excesses of anger where his personality asserts itself. The Aleix, the Pol Espargaro, the Johann Zarco are essential so that our sport is not contaminated by the smoothest possible profiles, as is the case in Formula 1 for example with the exception, perhaps, of Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen.

 

Thank you from MotoGP

 

It was enough to watch the press conference and the emotion of Jorge Martin or Pedro Acosta to be convinced of his importance within the paddock. Casually, he is a vocal pilot but surprisingly clean given his longevity, who has always campaigned for the safety of his opponents.

MotoGP said thank you during the Sprint on Saturday. After yet another pole of which he has the secret, at his age, he went to win the Sprint with luck. Not that I'm minimizing his achievement because he had to stay on his wheels and he was overall very intelligent. But I had never seen three leaders fall in such a short time, including one on the last lap – and what's more, the reigning double world champion. Brad Binder, Raul Fernandez, Pecco Bagnaia and the gods of our sport gave him this triumph in his backyard. Recognize that the story is magnificent, especially for a pilot harmed by success throughout his career. It was deserved, and I was happy he won.

 

 

The right moment

 

He was wise. Wise, because technically, he still had the capacity to leave for a season, or even two. His physique is still sharp thanks to tough bike training, and the weekend in Catalonia proved to us that he still had the answer, even against the other Aprilias who never overshadowed him. Certainly, the Sunday podium was not there, but we did not have the impression of seeing a future retiree evolve.

 

 

In my opinion, his decision comes at the right time. His start to the season was marked by some weak moments. First much less strong than Maverick Vinales on circuits which corresponded to the RS-GP (notably the United States as well as Portugal), he had also made this inexcusable error in Jerez given his level, and did not was also not apologized to Johann Zarco. I could also talk about his collision with Franco Morbidelli on the last lap at Le Mans, which had to earn the latter a second cap behind his head after the first distributed in Qatar last year.

I had already said it in a previous article, but it's as if it wasn't there. Not in its season, no longer so fair and too anecdotal. This was problematic, because the Aprilia is one of the best motorcycles. He could have neutralized the chances of progression of the Noale firm by signing again. Instead, he leaves at the right time. Good enough to get one or two victories, but not enough to take his team to the next level. Unless it completely collapses, it is heading towards a new honest assessment, undoubtedly less good than the previous ones, but respectable for the last one.

What do you think of this pilot, and its announcement? Tell me in the comments!

As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport