Honda development set for Aleix Espargaro boost at Silverstone

Aleix Espargaro will return to the MotoGP grid for a second Honda wild-card appearance at the upcoming British Grand Prix.

The 34-year-old former Aprilia race-winner made his first race appearance for Honda during the recent Spanish round, where he looked to have secured 14th - and what would have been his first Honda points - before being penalised for low tyre pressure.

Espargaro’s prototype RC213V was handed to Joan Mir for the post-race test, with fellow ex-racer turned test rider Takaaki Nakagami then making his wild-card debut for HRC at Le Mans this weekend.

Honda has confirmed that Espargaro will make it three HRC wild-cards in a row with an appearance at the following Silverstone round, where he took his first Aprilia podium in 2021 and won in 2023.

Espargaro retired from full-time competition at the end of last year and immediately switched to Honda testing duties.

Feelgood factor around Honda

Honda remarkably won the most recent grand prix, through LCR satellite rider Johann Zarco in France.

It was a result which proved Honda's development has taken a major step forward in 2025, since the arrival of test rider Espargaro and technical director Romano Albesiano.

It was the first non-Ducati grand prix victory since a year ago when Aprilia's Maverick Vinales won in Texas.

It was Honda's first win since Alex Rins, also at COTA, for the LCR team.

Importantly for Honda, it prevented Ducati from claiming the all-time record for consecutive grand prix wins.

Ducati and Honda now share that record with 22 apiece.