Aleix Espargaro under the knife: more than 6 hours of surgery after the Sepang crash

The Honda MotoGP test rider has undergone surgery after the Sepang crash: here’s how he’s doing.

Aleix Espargaro was involved in a nasty fall during the recent test that HRC organized in Sepang to work on the 2026 prototype and, above all, the 2027 one. He suffered some bruises and a fracture of four vertebrae—by no means a minor injury. After the checks carried out in Malaysia, he was able to return to Spain for further exams and to determine whether surgery would be necessary. The operation did take place, at the Hospital Universitari Quirón-Dexeus in Barcelona.

On Friday, April 17, it was the Honda MotoGP tester himself who shared the news via his official Instagram profile: "Hi everyone, yesterday they finally operated on me and fixed the four vertebrae. The surgery lasted more than six hours and Dr. Fiol and his team did an excellent job. I’m in a lot of pain now, but I’m already starting to move; I hope to be able to go home in the coming days. A hug to you all."

After some rest, Espargaro will begin rehabilitation. In his post, in addition to a video message for the fans, there’s also a photo showing the scar running down his spine. It’s a bit striking. Fortunately, Aleix didn’t suffer worse consequences from the crash in Sepang. Recovery times from the injury have not yet been announced, but right now the important thing is that the operation went well and that he will soon be able to return home.

It’s certainly bad news for HRC, given what has happened to the Catalan test rider, a valuable asset for the development of the RC213V and RC214V. But it’s something they’ll have to deal with. The test team also includes Takaaki Nakagami, who will have to do his best to contribute to the growth of Honda’s technical project.