| Pol Espargaró | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Espargaró in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Spanish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1991-06-10)10 June 1991 (age 34) Granollers, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (test rider) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 44 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Pol Espargaró Villà (Catalan pronunciation:[ˈpɔləspəɾɣəˈɾoβiˈʎa]; born 10 June 1991) is a SpanishGrand Prix motorcycle racer who for 2023 rode in theMotoGP class for the newly named GasGas Factory Racing team, a development ofTech3 using KTM machines, after which he will be a test rider within the KTM organisation.[1] He previously spent two years withRepsol Honda Team.
Pol is the younger brother of fellow MotoGP riderAleix Espargaró, and is best known for winning the2013 Moto2 World Championship.[2][3] This earned him a move toMonster Yamaha Tech3 in 2014, until 2017 where he signed forRed Bull KTM Factory Racing and secured a maiden podium at the2018 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix .
He won theSuzuka 8 Hours in 2015 withBradley Smith andKatsuyuki Nakasuga, and in 2016 with Nakasuga andAlex Lowes. He is the first rider to finish on the podium riding aKTM motorcycle in MotoGP.
Born inGranollers,Barcelona, Espargaró, arrived in the 125cc World Championship in2006 participating in the last six races of the year. This rider from replaced the injuredAndrea Iannone at Campetella Racing and made his debut on board aDerbi at theCzech Republic Grand Prix. Two months before, Espargaró had made history as awildcard in theCatalan Grand Prix when he finished 13th to become the youngest ever point scorer in a Grand Prix at the age of just 15 years and 8 days. He ended the season winning five consecutive races in Spanish 125cc Championship to become champion, followed by a 6th-place finish at theValencian Grand Prix.
In 2007, Espargaró aimed to further enhance the family reputation over a full season with Campetella Racing JuniorAprilia. Theseason start with two good results, a seventh inQatar and fourth atJerez, then a couple of Top 10s until theCatalan round where he finished fifth. Espargaró's turning point came in theCzech Republic where he finished in sixth place, before a top five inSan Marino. ThePortuguese race was the highlight point of his short career, claiming a third-place finish from seventh on the grid. Espargaró battled for the lead withHéctor Faubel andGábor Talmácsi, finishing just 0.2 seconds behind Faubel, who won.[4][5]
After running last year on board anAprilia RS125 in Belson Campetella, he switched theAprilia for theDerbi, in this occasion an RSA and partnered byJoan Olivé. He ended up 9th in the championship, with 3 podiums and 2 poles.
In 2011 he moved to Moto2 with the HP Tuenti Speed Up team with an FTR M211, obtaining second place in Indianapolis and third place in Malaysia and finishing the season in 13th place with 75 points.
In 2012 he moved to the Pons 40 HP Tuenti team. He Came third in Qatar. He got his first win in the Moto2 class in Spain. In Portugal he came second. He won in Great Britain, He came second in Italy and Indianapolis and third in the Czech Republic after starting on all occasions from pole position. In the San Marino Grand Prix he came second. He Won in Aragon. In Japan he came second after starting from pole position. He Got pole position in Malaysia. He Won in Australia after starting from pole position. He Got another pole position in the Valencian grand Prix. He ended the season in 2nd place with 269 points.
In 2013 he remained in the same team, obtaining six wins (Qatar, Catalonia, Netherlands, San Marino, Australia and Japan), a second place in Malaysia, two third places (Germany and Aragon) and six pole positions (Qatar, Catalonia, Netherlands, San Marino, Australia and the Valencian Community). He became the world champion with 265 points.
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In May 2013, rumours appeared linking Espargaró with theMotoGPTech 3 satelliteYamaha racing team, to replace British riderCal Crutchlow. After Crutchlow signed a two-year deal with the factoryDucati team, Espargaró signed a two-year deal with Yamaha, the first year of which would be with Tech 3.[6]He got his first points in the premier class in the United States. His best result was a fourth place in France and he ended the season in 6th place with 136 points, also achieving Rookie of The Year and Top Independent Rider.
Espargaró remained with Tech 3 into the2015 season,[7] finishing in ninth place in the final championship standings. In 2015 he also won the Suzuka 8 Hours , alternating with Bradley Smith and Katsuyuki Nakasuga driving the Yamaha YZF-R1. He thus becomes the second Spanish driver to win this race, after Carlos Checa.
Espargaró again remained with Tech 3 into the2016 season, he finished 8th in the standings with 134 points and his best finish of 4th came at theDutch TT. At the end of 2016 Espargaro and Yamaha split.
Prior to the2016 Catalan Grand Prix, it was announced that Espargaró would join the factory-supportedKTM team for the2017 season.[8] He partneredBradley Smith in the team, with both riders moving across from theTech 3 outfit.His best result is a ninth place in the Czech Republic. He ended the season in 17th place with 55 points.
In 2018 he remained in the same team, obtaining a third place in the Valencian grand Prix and ending the season in 14th place with 51 points. This season he was forced to miss the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic , Austria and Great Britain as he fractured his left collarbone in the warm up of the Czech Republic GP and the Aragon Grand Prix for a new fracture of the same bone remedied in free practice of the GP. In the Valencian Community Grand Prix he achieved his first podium in MotoGP, a third place. He closed the season in fourteenth place in the drivers' standings
Espargaró's season in 2019 did not build on the expectations created at the end of the 2018 season where he and KTM achieved their debut podium. He scored KTMs first dry front row start in Misano, and KTMs best dry result in Le Mans where he finished in 6th place, 5.9 seconds behind the race winner. Espargaró finished the 2019 season 11th in the standings with 100 points.
Espargaró finished the 2020 MotoGP season 5th in the standings level on points with Andrea Dovizoso, he made history by taking KTMs first pole position at theStyrian Grand Prix, another pole at theValencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix and a total of 5 podiums in the 2020 season. At the end of 2020 he left RedbullKTM forRepsol Honda.
Espargaró made hisRepsol Honda debut at theQatar motorcycle Grand Prix, finishing 8th on the first of the two races and 12th on the latter. He took several points scoring finishes throughout the season, but the highlights were his 5th place finish from pole position at the2021 British motorcycle Grand Prix,and a 2nd place finish behind teammate Marc Márquez inEmilia Romagna.Espargaró ended the season 12th in the championship on 100 points.
Espargaró started the 2022 season with a 3rd place finish at theQatar Grand Prix. However, from then on, due to various factors both in and out of his control, Espargaró's performances have resulted in few, and low-points scoring finishes.[9]
After initial uncertainty,[10] Espargaró announced at theAustrian Grand Prix in August that he had signed a two-year deal withTech 3 KTM Factory Racing, to be known as GasGas Factory Racing team from the 2023 season onwards - rejoined with Tech3 for the first time since2016.[11] His seat at Repsol Honda was allocated to 2020 World ChampionJoan Mir. The reported reason for this signing was Mir's younger age compared to that of Espargaró.[12]
Espargaró received substantial injuries in a practice crash at thePortimão Circuit on the Friday before the initial race weekend of the2023 season, and was unable to compete. He returned home to Spain after hospitalisation inFaro, Portugal.[13][14]
With a lengthy recovery time anticipated, the team nominatedKTM employeeJonas Folger as replacement rider from the season third-round at theCOTA race weekend on 15–16 April, and onwards as required.[15] Espargaró made his return at the British Grand Prix in August,[16] and late in the year confirmed he will be a test rider within the KTM organisation with the possibility of somewildcard races during 2024. His seat was taken byPedro Acosta.[1] Espargaró's final full-time MotoGP season ended with a 14th placed finish at the Valencian Community Grand Prix, 23rd overall in the rider standings.
In 2024, Espargaró was entered as a KTM wildcard rider in theItalian Grand Prix, finishing 17th in the main race.[17] He featured again as a wildcard at theAustrian Grand Prix with 9th in the sprint race.[18] The following day, he finished 11th in the main race.[19] Espargaró also raced in Misano, finishing 10th in the main feature race.
Espargaró was signed as a test and reserve rider for theRed Bull KTM Tech3 team in 2025. He deputised forMaverick Viñales, who sustained a shoulder injury in theGerman round, at theCzech Grand Prix, where he finished 9th in both the sprint and main race, and also raced inHungary.
Espargaró deputised for Viñales for theAustralian andMalaysian Grand Prix.[20]
| Class | Seasons | 1st GP | 1st Pod | 1st Win | Race | Win | Podiums | Pole | FLap | Pts | WChmp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125cc | 2006–2010 | 2006 Catalunya | 2007 Portugal | 2009 Indianapolis | 71 | 5 | 21 | 3 | 5 | 708.5 | 0 |
| Moto2 | 2011–2013 | 2011 Qatar | 2011 Indianapolis | 2012 Spain | 51 | 10 | 23 | 14 | 10 | 609 | 1 |
| MotoGP | 2014–present | 2014 Qatar | 2018 Valencia | 174 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 931 | 0 | |
| Total | 2006–present | 296 | 15 | 52 | 20 | 16 | 2248.5 | 1 | |||
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position, races initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Co-riders | Bike | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 |  Yamaha Factory Racing Team | Katsuyuki Nakasuga Bradley Smith | Yamaha YZF-R1 | 1st |
| 2016 | Yamaha Factory Racing Team | Katsuyuki NakasugaAlex Lowes | Yamaha YZF-R1 | 1st |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Spanish 125cc Champion 2006 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Suzuka 8 Hours Winner 2015, 2016 With:Katsuyuki Nakasuga (2015, 2016) Bradley Smith (2015) Alex Lowes (2016) | Succeeded by |