When Pol Espargarò was chosen by Honda HRC to be Marc Marquez’s teammate in 2021, the Spaniard was aware of the difficulties he would encounter on a bike that seems to be pushed to the limit only by the eight-time world champion from Cervera. And so ‘Polycio’ fought for a long time with the RC213V, managing to obtain the first satisfactions at the end of the season, such as second place in Misano, just behind Marquez. In Marca, the Catalan has therefore summed up his 2021, determined to further improve his 12th place in the standings and the 100 points collected for next season.
Balance. “It wasn’t the year I wanted. I don’t know if it was what we expected, because in the past the adaptation to this bike has cost a lot to the various riders who have passed through here. We knew that the bike was not at its best and therefore I did not create any particular expectations. Clearly I had ideal goals that I have not been able to achieve and which, without a doubt, I have not achieved. I am very demanding with myself, and if I had not been for example when I moved to KTM and we were at the bottom of the grid, I would never have been here with HRC colors. It’s my philosophy. “
The difficult bike. “The bar is set by the fastest of our brand, Marc Marquez, and we have seen that when he is well he is capable of winning. He wasn’t as regular as in the past, but the bike wasn’t up to par either because there were several things that didn’t allow us to be as fast as we would have liked. I will work hard to improve my level and be the best version of me next year. The goal is to try to fight for the title, because it must be the target for all the riders who pass through HRC. All the riders reported the lack of grip, especially at the rear. Honda has worked a lot on this aspect, which is what allows me to be fast, rear-wheel drive. I had to adapt my riding to the bike. We have seen the difficulties that Lorenzo had for example when he switched from Yamaha to Ducati, then the disaster at Honda. The driving style must change, it cannot be the same for all bikes. For example, Zarco suffered a lot in the transfer from Yamaha to KTM, and also in his first year with Ducati. And so does Rossi, always in Ducati. “
Reflections. “Jorge was a great driver and so was Dani. I have respect for them, as well as for Alex Marquez, who has had a difficult year here despite being world champion. Our bike is clearly not easy, but my ambition was to achieve something positive with a bike other than the KTM and alongside the best rider, Marc. With all the respect I have for the riders who have been here, I had the feeling that I had the ability to do better than them. And the season finale was good. For me Marc is the best rider in the world, having had the opportunity to share the garage with him, I don’t think many are capable of doing what he does. “
#MotoGP #Pol #Espargarò #goal #fight #title #FormulaPassionit