The indiscretion arrives on Sunday at Mugello, a week after the announcement of his retirement at the end of the season with Aprilia: from 2025 Aleix Espargarò will be involved with Honda as a test rider, wildcards included. And Luca Marini comments on it like this
Lfarewell to Aprilia last week, celebrated with a tattoo in the motorhome, now the future: Aleix Espargarò will be a test driver for Honda HRC from 2025. With some wildcards too, in order to make retirement less traumatic. The inspiration of his brother Pol, a KTM test rider, was fundamental, from which Aleix understood that life away from MotoGP can give a lot, maybe even more. On the other side is a Honda HRC orphaned by Repsol, at a clear disadvantage over Yamaha and far from a base to refine: in short, the bike needs to be rebuilt from scratch. In this sense, Aleix Espargarò can be a guide not only in light of the past eight years in Aprilia but also considering the work done with Suzuki.
“I didn’t know anything about it, if it’s the truth it’s excellent”, Luca Marini told us, who in all likelihood chose to tell a little lie so as not to ruin an announcement that should arrive in the next few days. “Aleix has many years of experience, he spent many years at Aprilia and knows the secrets of Aprilia. If he comes to be our tester we hope he will also bring some papers, something hidden that can help us (laughs, ed.). In the end the rider can give a bit of sensations but it is the engineers who have to build the bike.”
It is not clear, however, if Honda has decided to expand the test team with Aleix Espargarò, but judging by Marini’s words it may have chosen to give up Bradl: “If he will be the tester it’s perfect, I feel sorry for Stefan (Bradl, ed.) because I have an excellent relationship with him, even if perhaps it will remain. KTM has three testers, so they might as well both stay. Now I’ll go and talk to the Honda bosses to understand what the plans are.”
During the tests we will find out if Aprilia has already decided to take measures by limiting the technical innovations for its Captain or if, on the contrary, in Noale they decide to exploit the indications of Aleix Espargarò. Certainly his career as an ambassador Aprilia brand it becomes at least further away for Spanish.
