Pol Espargaró is preparing to face a long winter. With this question: did he make the right choice? In these complicated times marked by a pandemic which requires calculating down to the smallest detail trips which can be canceled at any time, one might wonder. The Spaniard is indeed changing bikes in 2021, moving from the KTM to the Honda. A decision which requires discovering your new mount as quickly and intensively as possible before the new season. Precisely, the context does not lend itself to this, so much so that the new teammate of a convalescent Marc Marquez will have to live with doubt until mid-February 2021...
On this date in fact, the return of MotoGP will be whistled and it is planned to Sepang in Malaysia for three days, from 19 at 21 February. This is if Covid-19 does not start to act up again, the same one which prevented the traditional tests in November before the truce... Until then, Pol Espargaro will only have his last memories with the KTM as a reference point for a MotoGP. The winter therefore promises to be long for the cadet D'Aleix, official Aprilia : "ça va être un long hiver et beaucoup de choses me viennent à l’esprit “, he admits. " Decisions have been made. I'm leaving KTM. It will be a long time before I get back on a motorcycle ».
Pol Espargaró will often think he should not have left KTM
Pol Espargaro admits: “ I will often think that I should not have left KTM. But I will also often think it was the right decision. It will change every day. But that's how it is when you've made an important decision in your career ". It must be said that his last campaign with a RC16 that he drove for four years is enough to fuel doubt: with five podiums, two pole positions and a fastest race lap, 2020 was the most successful year of Pol Espargaro nowadays. He finished fifth in a championship which, conversely, was the worst for the factory Honda since his involvement in 1982…
A doubt that he assures he is able to manage: “ as an athlete, I will take care of it ". And this will be done as a family since the Spaniard will spend the winter with his wife Carlota and their child in Andorra, his adopted homeland. Enough to help you get a well-deserved rest: “ I think everyone learned a lot this year. It was a very intense year with many races. The season was short, but the level of the drivers was very high. It was psychologically very intense ».
« If you do three races in a row and you fall, it destroys you physically. I learned a lot. I hope next year will be calmer and easier for everyone ", said I will espargaroOn Motorsport-total, hoping for a more normal season. “ This season has been great. We didn't expect to have a season like this during the first lockdown. You have to thank Dorna and everyone in the paddock for this season ».
We will recall that Pol Espargaro considers this two-year contract with Repsol Honda the ultimate challenge of his career. It will be about facing Marc Marquez …When he will be able to return to his RC213V.
