For four seasons, Pol Espargaró developed his development skills, taking the RC16 raw from the foundry in 2016 and leaving it in 2020 as a machine that had won three Grands Prix. Unfortunately, there were no winners that the Mattighofen factory will remember, but this experience will serve him well when he arrives at Honda. In fact, he will start from scratch with the RC213V, a blank page that he will have to write alone. Explanation …
Pol Espargaro boldly embarks on an adventure that he qualified as soon as he initialed it on the contract Honda Repsol like the challenge of his life. Win or die, sportingly speaking, that is the issue. And it won't be easy. Certainly, Marc Marquez should not be there during his first steps, since he is still convalescing. The youngest I will espargaro should therefore not have as strong a pressure as expected. But all the same, he will have to manage quickly and alone in order to demonstrate that the HRC was right to believe in him...
The one who finished this season in the top 5 does not underestimate the scale of the task awaiting him: “ there are always doubts. Anyone who says otherwise is lying, he admits to Motorsport.com. " In the life of an athlete, in any sport, doubts make the athlete better. It's what pushes you to improve more ».
The difficult part will be finding the right balance between rider, bike and team. But he does not believe that the RC213V is designed solely on the requirements of Marc Marquez. " The driver gives some guidelines and the engineers bring parts that all the brand's drivers test. Everyone at Honda chooses a different path. Jorge Lorenzo tried a million things and in the end he had a unique Honda. Motorcycles have DNA and there are riders who adapt better and others less well. Marc is the reference driver and I will try to go quickly ».
Pol Espargaró arrives alone at Honda
Still, according to rumors, Pol Espargaro will not be able to bring any member of its technical staff to Honda. The Andorran pilot confirms: “ due to a contractual problem I have with KTM I couldn't take anyone. Also, I think Honda is made up of very experienced people. Next year I ask myself the question of the maximum, I don't know what I will be able to accomplish. I want to be a competitive driver and the fastest on the brand. I moved to Repsol Honda to win a world championship and that will be my mentality ».
Statements assumed and which are formulated while the future of Marc Marquez remains uncertain after the third arm operation undergone in recent days. Pol's hope is that the eight-time World Champion will be strong enough to compete with one of the best riders in history.
« Starting a season without Marc hurts Honda and all the teams that can have a driver of this level. Marc brings speed to the factory, brings improvements and world titles as well as races won and information. In the hypothetical case, leaving without Marc is something very bad for the brand. I would like to be able to do a season with Marc to give the best of myself, to know if I am doing 100%. I can't take care of developing a bike that I don't know ". This is at least one mission that Pol Espargaro will refuse, at first, to assume...
