Pol Espargaro

Eight-time MotoGP podium finisher Pol Espargaro will continue as a KTM test and wild-card rider in 2025.

Pol Espargaro - Route to MotoGP

Pol Espargaro was born in Granollers, Spain, just behind the legendary Circuit the Catalunya. At the age of six years he took part in his first Enduro race, before competing later in Domestic Spanish road racing championships.

He first competed in World Championship racing in the 125cc class 2006, as a wild-card at the Catalan Grand Prix. The young Spanish rider finished the race in 13th position, which at the time was a record for the youngest ever point scorer in GP racing, at the age of 15 years and eight days. Espargaro completed several additional wild-card races with a highlight being a sixth place at the Valencia finale.

Pol began his full-time campaign in the 125cc class the following year, scoring an impressive podium at Estoril. He continued to improve and became a constant threat to the top five contenders. 

In 2008 he switched from Aprilia to Derbi branded machinery and scored three more podiums to finish ninth again overall. The Spaniard then scored two Grand Prix victories on the way to fourth in the 2009 World Championship before his best 125cc season of third overall with three wins in 2010.

The young Spaniard then moved up to the ultra-competitive 600cc four-stroke Moto2 class, scoring a second place at Indy and a third place at Sepang with an FTR chassis.

In 2012, Espargaro took four Moto2 victories, as well as seven podiums and eight pole positions, as he battled Marc Marquez for the title. The end result was the runner-up position behind the #93.

The clear favourite for the 2013 title, Espargaro nevertheless had to overcome some wobbly early season performances and a charging Scott Redding, finally overhauling the Englishman in the closing stages of the season. 

Espargaro took six victories, wrapping up the title at Motegi, the penultimate round.

Pol Espargaro in MotoGP

Monster Yamaha Tech3 (2014-2016)

2014 saw Espargaro step up to the premier MotoGP class with Monster Yamaha Tech3, setting personal goals of beating both his more experienced team-mate Bradley Smith and his older brother Aleix.

To that end it was a successful year, Espargaro appearing every-inch the seasoned MotoGP performer on his way to top Rookie honours as well as being the leading non-Factory team rider. Although it wasn’t enough to see him score what would prove an elusive first podium, a front row in France and a brave ride to sixth a day after a huge fall at Sepang were among his eye-catching performances.

Having built what looked like a strong foundation during his rookie season, Espargaro took a step-back during year two, sinking to ninth in the world championship as team-mate Smith got the clear upper hand. The main highlight of Espargaro's second season came outside of the grand prix paddock in the form of a Suzuka 8 Hours victory for Yamaha, alongside Smith and Katsuyuki Nakasuga.

Smith's form saw him confirmed as KTM's first rider for its 2017 MotoGP debut, at the opening round of 2016. But Espargaro soon got the better of the Briton that year and, while a podium again remained just of reach, was signed to complete the factory KTM line-up. His parting gift to Yamaha was another Suzuka 8 Hours victory, this time with Nakasuga and Alex Lowes

Red Bull KTM (2017-2020)

Espargaro would be KTM's top rider from 2017 until his departure at the end of 2020 - including his and the RC16's first podium at Valencia 2018 - as he climbed up the riders' standings from 17th, to 14th, to 11th and finally 5th.

But KTM's big jump in performance during 2020 came too late to keep Espargaro, who had already accepted the dream chance to join Repsol Honda during the Covid-delayed start to the racing season.

Having been with the RC16 project from the start, it would have been fitting if Espargaro had at least won a race before leaving. 

Instead he had to watch Brad Binder (1) and then Miguel Oliveira (2) celebrate from the top step, but insisted he was satisfied with his five podiums that year and playing a part in developing a winning bike.

Repsol Honda (2021-2022)

Espargaro's decision to join Honda for 2021 was based more on legacy than recent results, the factory managing just two podiums in 2020 after Marc Marquez's arm fracture. 

But with just five days of pre-season testing, due to Covid restrictions, in which to try and learn a notoriously tricky bike, and without the injured Marquez's data to compare with until round 3, Espargaro was thrown in the deep end on a bike that appeared even less competitive than the previous season.

A lack of rear grip frequently caught out all the Honda riders and neutered Espargaro's previous reliance on the rear brake on corner entry. There was to be little reward for his efforts until Silverstone, when the grippy British track allowed the Spaniard to show his potential with pole position and fourth in the race. 

A debut Honda podium followed with second behind Marquez at Misano, but just as momentum was building the #44 suffered a huge highside in practice at Valencia, ruling him out of the season finale.

Returning to action a few days later, Espargaro joined his fellow Honda riders in giving a positive verdict on the all-new 2022 bike, an impression reinforced in subsequent tests at Sepang and Mandalika.

When Espargaro bolted into the lead of the Qatar season opener, and remained at the front for most of the race on his way to third, he and Honda looked in for a strong season. But the rug was pulled from under them by a harder tyre construction at Mandalika and, bizarrely, the pre-season performance never returned even when back on the usual rubber. It was, in Espargaro's words, an enigma.

With 2020 world champion Joan Mir suddenly available following Suzuki's withdraw, Espargaro's days at Repsol Honda were numbered and he spent most of the season desperately frustrated at the lack of new parts on his side of the garage.

3rd in the championship after Lusail, Espargaro slipped to 16th by the Valencia finale, three places behind team-mate Marc Marquez - who missed eight races due to injuries.

GASGAS Tech3 (2023)

After his 'dream' Repsol Honda move descended into a nightmare, Pol Espargaro jumped at the chance to return to KTM machinery in 2023, riding for the rebranded GASGAS Tech3 squad.

Espargaro, KTM and Tech3 had high hopes for the Spaniard’s return, but the season had barely begun when he suffered ten fractures - to his back, neck, ribs and jaw - in a disastrous practice accident in Portimao.

Returning after the summer break at Silverstone, Espargaro managed a best of 12th place during the remaining rounds, as specualtion grew over which Tech3 rider would make way for Pedro Acosta.

The conundrum wasn’t solved until October when it was announced that Espargaro would switch to KTM test and wild-card duties in 2024, a role he combined with TV work and came to relish.

Red Bull KTM test rider (2024-present)

Espargaro made three wild-card appearances in 2024, scoring points with 11th at the Red Bull Ring and 10th at Misano as he put race miles on the prototype RC16 he and Dani Pedrosa had been developing behind closed doors.