With Marc Márquez’s departure to Gresini, a return to Repsol Honda was a possibility for Pol Espargaró. However, the rider chose to remain with the KTM structure as a test rider.
In an interview with the Relevo website, the Spanish rider explained why he rejected returning to the manufacturer he represented in 2021 and 2022: ‘I am not at the point in my sporting career to choose that. I am not competitive enough. I do not feel physically well enough to choose that and one must be responsible. It is working for a factory. And if you do not believe you can give your best, it is a fraud. So, I did not want to’.
Espargaró is currently 32 years old. In the second practice of the Portuguese GP last March, he suffered serious injuries that kept him out for a large part of this season, and he is still not fully recovered. His best result of 2023 with GasGas Tech3 was 12th place in Great Britain.
