Open Letter by Aleix Espargaró: The Double Role Is Over

Aleix Espargaró stopped being a full-time MotoGP rider in 2024, but his “sabbatical” year turned into a real physical and mental ordeal. The Catalan ended his 2025 with an open-hearted letter, admitting that trying to be both an HRC test rider and a professional cyclist at the same time was an almost suicidal mission.

The former MotoGP rider had signed with Lidl–Trek and with Honda, a dual commitment that allowed him to nurture his two great passions. But over time the fatigue set in; it’s not easy to follow both road and track at that level. “If a dream doesn’t scare you... it’s not a dream!” the Granollers rider said on his social media. For many it was just a publicity stunt; for Aleix, a personal test, even racing the Tour of Austria with the number 47 jersey.

Soon enough, the problems came to a head. HRC began demanding more time and commitment to push forward the evolution of the RC213V, and his work wasn’t limited to private tests. His wildcard appearances, such as at the Jerez Grand Prix, reminded him that developing a MotoGP bike suffering from vibration and a lack of aerodynamic load is a demanding job.

At that point he had to cut back on cycling. “It didn’t go exactly as planned; my commitments with Honda and injuries made things tougher than expected. But life isn’t easy.” The combination of trips to Japan, intensive tests, and MotoGP weekends took their toll. “It was tough, demanding, brutal.” Until the explicit request from Alberto Puig: leave professional cycling to fully dedicate himself to the role of Honda test rider.

The roadmap for next year allows no distractions; the MotoGP project will have absolute priority. “Both Alberto and the team asked me to do a dual development next year, with the 2026 bike and the new 2027 bike with Pirelli tires,” Aleix Espargaró admitted in a recent interview. “So I’ll have to dedicate myself much more to my job as a Honda test rider.” He will continue to do some bike training, but nothing serious. “The test rider role was somewhat new to me. I thought I could handle both, but it’s not the case.”