The Valencia tests are getting closer and closer and Honda still doesn’t know for sure who will take Marc Marquez’s place in its official team next season. The issue that is breaking the bank is the duration of the contract that the Japanese company is putting on the table for possible replacements: only one year.
This would put it in a position to be on the market when the agreements of almost all the big names on the grid expire, especially Jorge Martin and Fabio Quartararo. Team manager Alberto Puig today narrowed down the shortlist of candidates for the RC213V with Repsol colors to three names and, alongside those already mentioned in recent weeks, namely Fabio Di Giannantonio and Luca Marini, a surprise one appeared, that of Pol Espargaro .
The Spaniard is experienced and was recently demoted by KTM to the role of test rider next season to make room for rising star Pedro Acosta. A picture that would make him a good profile if it weren’t for the fact that it would be a reheated soup, given that “Polyccio” was an HRC driver in the two-year period 2021-2022 and that he was not confirmed having failed to deliver up to par results. Furthermore, he is still recovering both physically and psychologically from the bad accident he suffered at the beginning of the season in Portimao.
Puig’s decision could therefore have seemed like a spur-of-the-moment one, but instead the Granollers rider confirmed that he had had contacts with the Spanish manager, who also flattered him from a certain point of view, but also in the end he decided to continue his career journey with the KTM, also considering it more suitable for the moment he is personally experiencing.
“I have always had a good relationship with Alberto. I think he is a good person and that he is doing his job well. Honda is in a very difficult situation because of Marc. All the riders have a contract with a manufacturer, so let’s say the best riders or those with the most options have contracts for next year. So the situation is critical for them. It’s not Honda’s fault, it’s just a difficult situation. And yes, I spoke to Alberto to understand what the situation was “, Pol admitted.
However, he continued: “But then I also spoke with the guys from the Pierer Mobility Group (KTM), my bosses, and we understood that for both parties it was better to continue this project until we see it reach a title World”.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Pol Espargaro, Tech3 GASGAS Factory Racing
“My contract expires next year, so I will be free, and we will have to discuss with KTM whether there will be something to do in 2025. But at the moment I am happy with where I am. I really thank Honda, because getting a call to come back means that the the work done was not bad. And the relationship with them has always been good, even if the results were lacking. This means a lot to me, but for the future it is different”, he added.
As already underlined by Marini, the fact that only a one-year agreement is proposed is probably what makes everything more complicated for those who already have one for next season. “Honda’s problem is that they offer one year and it is clear, because Marc leaves halfway through the contract. So they are in difficulty and they need a rider for one year. And they need one who has experience, who knows other motorcycle and who knows how to improve one.”
“I feel like I could be a good option for that project. Maybe I could go to Honda and get some good results. You never know, Honda is Honda. And then maybe I would stay in 2025 and 2026. But that’s the way things are, I chose to stay even though I have a lot of respect for Honda and for Alberto, who did a good job”, he concluded.
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