Aleix Espargaro’s home Barcelona MotoGP farewell: ‘Last time was like a dream’
“It will be special, my last with Aprilia, with my family and friends very close to home."
Aleix Espargaro expected to ride his final lap as a full-time MotoGP rider at Valencia on November 17.
But the rescheduled season finale, following the disastrous Valencia flooding, means Espargaro will instead bid farewell to MotoGP at his local Barcelona circuit.
Espargaro’s thoughts are still very much with the Valencia region.
But in pure performance terms, he also has slightly mixed feelings about a return to Barcelona after such an ’amazing’ weekend in May.
The 35-year-old announced his retirement plans in an emotional pre-event press conference before putting his Aprilia on top of the Friday timesheets, then on pole position for qualifying.
Espargaro celebrated a dream Sprint victory, his only win of the season so far, before waving ‘goodbye’ to his home fans with fourth - as top non-Ducati - in the grand prix.
Catalunya remains Espargaro’s best weekend of the year, while the RS-GP has been absent from the top three since his Sprint podium in Austria (round 11 of 20).
But with Espargaro a winner in May, and the RS-GP finishing one-two at Catalunya the year before, can Espargaro end his full-time career on a high?
“Hopefully!” Espargaro said before leaving Sepang in Malaysia.
“I’m a little bit worried because the last time we went there was an amazing weekend. I could not really dream of better.
"But I’m positive. Hopefully, it is a good one.
“It’s not going to be that hot and that’s where the Aprilia suffers the most! For sure we will have better feelings and I hope to do a good race.
“It will be special, my last with Aprilia, with my family and friends very close to home.
"That’s the only, small, positive thing [about the change of venue].”
Espargaro has pledged to donate prize money from the weekend in aid of Valencia.
MotoGP is also due to announce special initiatives for an event officially titled as the ‘Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona’.
Espargaro will then start a new chapter as a HRC test and wild-card rider after the season finale.
Team-mate Maverick Vinales will also be riding in his last grand prix for Aprilia, before switching to Tech3 KTM.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
