POL ESPARGARO CONFIRMED AT REPSOL HONDA, ALEX MARQUEZ TO LCR

Pol Espargaro confirmed at Repsol Honda – Photo: LAT

It’s official, the worst kept secret has finally been confirmed, Pol Espargaro will race for the factory Repsol Honda Team in MotoGP alongside Marc Marquez from next year.

By DAN McCARTHY

The former Moto2 champion has signed a two-year deal through until the end of the 2022 season with the Japanese brand.

This year Espargaro will be completing his fourth and final season with the factory KTM team and was grateful for the opportunity.

“As you may already know, next year KTM and I will separate our paths after what will be the four most intense and beautiful years of my life,” Espargaro said on Instagram.

“Knowing that on many occasions we have had weaker weapons than the others, we have fought and persevered together overcoming all the obstacles that a project as new as this has presented us. I have been surrounded by a technical and human team from out of this world, tireless fighters who have always given their all!”

The Spaniard is very much looking forward to jumping onto the Honda next year.

“In 2021 I am going to compete for the Repsol Honda Team and I am going to try to show what I am capable of achieving with the same effort and sacrifice, in a new stage of my life that promises to be even more intense.

“But I still have a whole season together (with KTM) in which, as always, I will try to be on the level that this great factory deserves!”

Alex Marquez will move to LCR Honda – Photo: LAT

Espargaro’s announcement pushes out Alex Marquez, who due to the COVID-19 pandemic is yet to ride the factory Honda bike himself during a race weekend.

It is not all doom and gloom for Alex Marquez, the reigning Moto2 champion has signed a two-year extension of his HRC contract, although not for the factory squad.

From 2021 through until the end of 2022 the younger of the Marquez brothers will compete for Lucio Cecchinello’s LCR Honda squad replacing Englishman Cal Crutchlow.

Over six years with LCR Crutchlow has taken three MotoGP race wins and HRC released a statement thanking him for his services.

“HRC would like to extend its thanks to Cal Crutchlow for his diligent and tireless work since joining HRC in 2015,” it read.

“With three wins and 12 podiums, the British rider has been a valuable asset on and off track – a constant source of excellent feedback for the engineers and a key part of developing the Honda RC213V in recent years. HRC wishes him all the best in his future endeavours.”

It is unknown at this stage whether the bullish rider will remain on the grid in 2021 but has already stated that a move to the factory Aprilia team alongside Aleix Espargaro would be great.

Italian Franco Morbidelli has also signed a two-year contract through until the end of the 2022 season with the Petronas Yamaha SRT squad.

Last year Morbidelli was overshadowed by his rookie teammate Fabio Quartararo, however the 2017 Moto2 champion still recorded four top five finishes and finished 10th in the championship. The 25-year-old will be hoping to build on that this year.

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