The transfer market has apparently just experienced a new episode with this certainty put online by the site La Gazzetta dello Sport. According to the Italian media, which is an authority in the world of sport, Alberto Puig, team manager of the Repsol Honda team, informed Pol Espargaró that Honda would not exercise the option mentioned in his contract for after 2022 Which means that the 2 Moto2013 World Champion will have to look for a new team. His replacement would be none other than Joan Mir, who will be without a bike at the end of the season since Suzuki should no longer be on the starting grid. Everything seems more or less logical, except for one detail...
La Gazzetta dello Sport clearly announces it: Honda meant to Pol Espargaro that his period with the RC213V would not be renewed at the end of this season. After Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix race, the team manager Alberto puig would have informed the younger of the two brothers of Granollers that Honda would not exercise the option placed on him for 2023 and that, therefore, the driver was free to find another team.
The timing of this announcement is important, because, if it were verified, it would mean that the decision was taken before the paddock fell under the shock of the information, yet to be made official by the manufacturer concerned, of the withdrawal of Suzuki of MotoGP at the end of this year. As it is acquired that only Joan mir was in the running to settle alongside Marc Marquez, the question will remain whether the 2020 World Champion and Alberto Puig as Honda were already very well aware of the intentions of the Hamamatsu brand.
Were Honda and Joan Mir already aware of Suzuki's intentions?
We will recall that when the ax fell, at the end of the test day in Jerez on Monday, and therefore after the intervention ofAlberto puig near Pol Espargaro, the manager of Joan mir had assured that his pilot was in a state of shock because everything was finalized to sign a new lease with the GSX-RR. Understanding the above, the Mallorcan seemed more inclined to move to Repsol Honda, which had just made room for him… In any case, this anchors it a little more fabio quartararo in Yamaha for the years to come: Suzuki closes shop, Honda takes the 2020 World Champion and at Ducati it is already overflowing.
