The Aprilia rider, Aleix Espargaro, has confessed that he is once again considering the option of stepping away from full-time competition in MotoGP. However, he is also contemplating the appealing idea of transitioning to a less demanding test rider role and taking on the development of a new 850cc machine for a team for 2027.
At 35 years old, Espargaro has been the oldest full-time rider on the grid since Andrea Dovizioso’s retirement at the end of 2022. Despite Aprilia’s apparent willingness to keep him as their “captain,” especially after failing to secure Fabio Quartararo, Espargaro states that he is far from making a decision.
Speaking to the press before the Grand Prix of the Americas, Espargaro stated: “I hope Aprilia offers me a new position, but that’s not the most important thing. What matters is whether I want to stay or not, and I haven’t decided yet. I want to wait a little longer, at least until Mugello in May, to evaluate my performance before deciding.”
“I’m enjoying myself this year, but I want to compete for the top five in every race, or it could be my last. I still need to figure out what the best future is for me. If I continue to compete full-time, I don’t think it will be anywhere else but Aprilia. I want to stand out. That’s my current obsession – finishing on the podium every weekend – and then I will make a decision.”
Over the past year, Espargaro has been indecisive about how long he wants to remain a rider in the premier class, but previously he had not considered the possibility of transitioning to a part-time role. However, he now recognizes that the increasing importance of factory test teams in modern MotoGP makes this idea more appealing.
By doing this, he also hinted that, while only considering continuing as a full-time rider with Aprilia, there may be other potential interested parties in the test rider market.
“Maybe I decide to stop and participate in some wildcards as a test rider. Maybe I decide to stop completely. I need to make a decision, but I haven’t done it yet,” shared Espargaro. “It’s a new job, a new role that didn’t exist five years ago. Now we understand how crucial it is. Ducati and Michele Pirro changed the game six years ago, and now we see with Dani Pedrosa and Pol Espargaro at KTM that Yamaha and Honda need to step up their game with their test teams, because they are not at the same level as the Italians or the KTM test team.”
“It’s a great opportunity for me, and that’s why I’m seriously considering it. It’s something I really enjoy. I had a lot of fun with Aprilia in the last six or seven years, and I believe we have done an excellent job. I have learned a lot, and this is also a possibility for the future.”
