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