The Italian MotoGP Grand Prix takes place this upcoming weekend and is marked by a long-awaited return – that of Pol Espargaró.
At the end of last season, the rider put an end to his full-time career, becoming a test rider for KTM. And it is thanks to this role that he will now return to active duty sporadically as a wildcard in Mugello.
It is Espargaró’s first participation since becoming a test rider, and the second wildcard of the season by the Austrian manufacturer – following Dani Pedrosa’s in the Spanish GP.
Having overcome serious injuries that affected him in 2023, #44 has already admitted that he feels ‘more like his old self’. His performance will be another point of interest in the Italian GP – where the RC16 is expected to be a bike capable of fighting, at least, in the top five.
On a personal level, Espargaró achieved his best result at Mugello in 2014 – when, in his debut year in MotoGP, he finished fifth. In the lower categories, he had three podiums at the Tuscan circuit – second in 2012 (Moto2) and third in 2008 and 2010 (125cc).
