Paul Espargaro: Relief after returning to KTM / MotoGP

In the past 10 days, Aprilia has confirmed the existence of Alex Espargaro and Maverick Vinales for the next two years. Yamaha announced the extension of the contract with Fabio Quartaro Thursday, and the Frenchman is also subject to a contract until the end of 2024. Repsol Honda will appear with Marc Marquez and Joan Mir during the next two years. So Pol Espargaró will return to KTM’s MotoGP project after two years.

The 31-year-old Spaniard has had many disappointments at HRC in a year and a half. He would like more stability on the rear wheel, but Marc Marquez craves more feel on the front tire. So far, Honda engineers haven’t found the right balance for the Honda RC213V due to the opposing desires of the stars.

The 2013 Moto2 World Champion also misses the family atmosphere at KTM, direct support from CEO Stephane Bierer and CEO Hubert Trunkenpolz and the unbroken friendship with Pit Beirer, who was just as happy with the third place Paul in Qatar 2022 as he was in second. Place of KTM Factory Pilot Brad Bender. At Honda, Paul Espargaro seems to feel disconnected.

That means three of the four MotoGP seats for the 20213 season are occupied at KTM: with Brad Bender and Jack Miller at Red Bull-KTM and Paul Espargaró at Tech3, where the Spaniard drove the M1-Yamaha fighter for three years from 2014 to 2016.
Then Paul Espargaro switched to the KTM factory team, because at Yamaha the factory team was always working with Rossi and Lorenzo and there were no opportunities to upgrade.

In 2020, in his fourth and final season for the Austrians, Paul Espargaro secured five third places and two first places in 14 Grand Prix races on his KTM RC16, including in the final in Valencia, where KTM backed him to the last despite the HRC. Contract 100 per cent in the last race cycle – also with new development parts. Paul thanked him with fifth place in the world championship.

At Repsol-Honda, Pol is already feeling cut off from further development in the first weekend in June. Stefan Bradel and Taka Nakagami have been tasked with equipment such as the swivel arm and new chassis that Marc Marquez recently used in his home at the Grand Prix of all places.

He is hoping KTM will sign him again in 2023, Andorra revealed by his choice a week ago at the Mugello GP.

Who will take fourth place in KTM’s MotoGP after Binder, Miller and Pol Espargaró (at Tech3) is open.

Raul Fernandez is in touch with WithU-RNF-Aprilia, and Remy Gardner will still be welcome at KTM, but so far the feud between the Austrians and his manager Paco Sanchez has not been resolved.