Jonas Folger will continue as a test rider for KTM in MotoGP in 2024. The rider joined the project this year, standing in as a replacement for Pol Espargaró at GasGas Tech3 on six occasions. Despite the Spaniard taking on the role of test and wildcard rider, the German will remain within the structure.

Confirmation came from KTM Motorsport director Pit Beirer, speaking to SPEEDWEEK.com: ‘We extended the contract with Jonas. First, because he did a great job this year as a test rider and because he did a good job as a reserve rider this year when he came to Texas and really replaced Pol in many races’.

In an expanded team of test riders, veterans Dani Pedrosa and Mika Kallio also remain, a situation that pleases the manufacturer as stated by the Austrian: ‘With three test riders, we are certainly in a luxury situation. And we also have Mika. Our MotoGP test team really likes working with Jonas. That’s why there was no discussion about the new agreement’.

O conteúdo Jonas Folger remains as KTM’s test rider for MotoGP in 2024 aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Pol Espargaró completes his last MotoGP Grand Prix as a primary rider in Valencia—at least for now. As known, he will become a test rider for KTM in 2024, making way for Pedro Acosta at GasGas Tech3.

In the preview of the Valencia round, the Spanish rider emphasized his intention to make the most of these final moments in the paddock, aiming to build good memories as he bids farewell:

– I am looking forward to going to Valencia. This is a place where I have very good memories, and I know that I will have family, friends and fans who will come to support both the team and myself. All I want is to enjoy this last round as it is set to be the last one of my active career, so I really want to take it all in, have fun with my team, and make this one memorable.

O conteúdo Pol Espargaró closes a chapter of his career in Valencia: ‘I want to make this GP memorable’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Pol Espargaró finished the Qatar MotoGP GP in a modest 18th place. The veteran from GasGas Tech3 didn’t have the means to fight for a better result in Losail, marking one of his last rounds before retiring from the circuit.

Speaking to the press, the Spaniard said he faced significant challenges throughout the race, and his performance wasn’t at its best, as he now shifts his focus to the Valencia GP:

– I’m normally struggling with this bike with the front. I struggle to make the bike turn and it was a very difficult race. For sure my performance wasn’t good anyway together with the problems I had on the bike. I struggled a lot during all the race. Nothing to say, let’s move to Valencia and let’s have fun on the last one of the year.

O conteúdo ‘I struggle to make the bike turn and my performance wasn’t good’ – Pol Espargaró aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Following the first free practice session of the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix, Marco Bezzecchi and Pol Espargaró had an on-track encounter where there was a disagreement, narrowly avoiding a collision.

Later, during practice starts, Bezzecchi made contact with the rear of Espargaró’s GasGas Tech3 bike using his own bike.

Despite the situation, Espargaró emphasized that there is no controversy with Bezzecchi, stating to the press: ‘I won’t comment on any of that. If you ask me several times, I’ll respond the same. It’s about maturing and biting your tongue. So, I won’t create controversy. Nothing happened between us. Everything is fine’.

O conteúdo Pol Espargaró denies a controversy with Marco Bezzecchi: ‘Nothing happened’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The first free practice session of the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix nearly ended in a mishap for Marco Bezzecchi and Pol Espargaró, who had a dispute on the track and narrowly avoided a collision.

The first incident occurred in a corner, where Espargaró (GasGas Tech3/KTM) was running slower, and Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team/Ducati) caught up with him on the trajectory. A collision was narrowly avoided.

Unhappy with the situation, later during the start practices, the Italian made more than one contact with the rear wheel of Espargaró. An action that could very well lead to scrutiny and penalties from the race stewards. Watch the moment below.

O conteúdo Video: Marco Bezzecchi touched Pol Espargaró’s bike after a disagreement on the track aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

As known, the Losail circuit underwent significant intervention in the last year, and although the layout remains the same, there’s new asphalt and new buildings around it. Therefore, there might be some differences compared to previous years.

Pol Espargaró, from GasGas Tech3, admitted he doesn’t like that much of the changes: ‘I kind of dislike the situation, because this is a place where I used to be fast and the bike also used to be fast here, we’ve seen in the past. So, if you mix everything, to have these question marks around, this isn’t very good at all. We need to wait a little bit to see what’s going on’.

Asked if the night conditions in Losail could be physically better for him, the Spaniard replied: ‘I don’t really know. I hope that with less hot and humidity the conditions are gonna be better for all of us. Coming from Malaysia for sure everyone will be much better physically talking than in the past races. So, we’ll see’.

O conteúdo Pol Espargaró isn’t a «fan» of the changes at Losail circuit: ‘I dislike the situation’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

After a challenging 2023 season due to injuries suffered at the MotoGP Portugal GP, Pol Espargaró lost his spot at GasGas Tech3 to Pedro Acosta, becoming a test rider for the next year with various wildcard appearances. Despite the possibility of returning to Repsol Honda, he stuck with his initial decision.

Espargaró explained his reasons to the official MotoGP website, stating: ‘I felt that I had to take this step in my career. Take a step to the side, not backward. And try to help the factory and a rider like Pedro. The future needs to continue building in this factory. And in this case, Pedro is the one who is taking my place’.

He acknowledged a debt of gratitude to KTM, saying: ‘I am the rider I am today thanks to them. We’ve helped each other. But I think I learned a lot there, and I have a lot to give back to them. And if I stay here, it’s because I really feel and believe that this is the best manufacturer in the championship’.

O conteúdo Pol Espargaó loyal to KTM: ‘I’m the rider I am today thanks to them’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Pol Espargaró finished 15th in the MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix, having to endure a challenging race to secure a podium. The conditions at Sepang and a less than favorable first lap significantly complicated the task for the GasGas Tech3 rider.

The Spaniard admitted that he was physically exhausted, still feeling the effects of injuries sustained in Portugal last March: ‘Wow, racing with this humidity and hot, with these bikes… maybe I’m feeling more this because I’m struggling more, because I have a quite a lot of weaknesses in my body that I still didn’t recover from the crash. Normally I don’t feel them, but I feel them especially when the conditions are this intense and to the limit. So I feel that my body is not OK, so maybe I struggle a little bit more than the others. […]. It is what it is, the race was very, very hard’.

On the other hand, Espargaró stated that having to recover from the loss of positions right from the start was another challenge: ‘I also had a problem at the beginning of the race. I had a big contact with Joan Mir in the last corner and I’ve lost all the positions – I was overtaken even by [Álvaro] Bautista, and I needed to come back. I overtook the RNF MotoGP, [Takaaki] Nakagami, Bautista. Then I lost quite a lot of time. I reached my teammate, I arrived to his wheel, but it was quite late on the race, I had a very used tyre. Plus, this problem we have on the front that the pressure comes very much up and then it’s very difficult to overtake. So I just stayed there until the end of the race’.

O conteúdo ‘I feel that my body is not OK, so maybe I struggle more than the others’ – Pol Espargaró aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

There still isn’t a successor to Marc Márquez at Repsol Honda, with about two weeks remaining until the first MotoGP pre-season test for 2024. Pol Espargaró was approached by the team but chose to stay with the Pierer Mobility Group and the KTM project—albeit as a test rider.

In the opinion of the Spanish rider, the Japanese team has a problem on their hands to address with the existing needs: ‘They have a problem for one year, this is clear. Because Marc leaves in the middle of the contract parentheses, so they are in trouble with that. And they need one guy for one year, and it’s clear they need to choose a guy with experience, that knows other bikes and that knows how to improve the bike’.

Although he believes he would be an ideal candidate for the position and could possibly succeed, Espargaró emphasized his decision to stay with the KTM group: ‘I think I would have been a good option for that project, but I really want to see myself in a few years – I don’t know, maybe I would go to Honda and then the results were good because you never know, Honda is Honda. And then I would stay in 2025, 2026. You never know, because I really believe after this winter I’m gonna be back to the good level. But it is what it is and I choose to stay. I respect Honda so much and I’m super grateful with Alberto [Puig, team manager], he is a good guy and he does a great job’.

O conteúdo ‘Honda has a problem for one year’ – Pol Espargaró aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Pol Espargaró was approached by Repsol Honda to return for the 2024 season, replacing Marc Márquez. The rider had already committed to KTM as a test rider for the next year and decided to stay with the Austrian project, despite the tempting possibility of remaining in the racing grid.

The experienced Spaniard began by defending Honda in the delicate situation it faces in defining Márquez’s successor: ‘I have a very good relationship with Alberto [Puig, team manager] from the past. I think he his a good guy and it’s doing his job well. For sure Honda is in a very difficult situation because Marc… all the riders with more possibilities have contract until the next year, so the situation is a little bit critical for them. It’s not Honda’s blame’.

Regarding the possibility of returning to Honda, Espargaró confirmed that it was discussed with Puig but ultimately chose to stay with KTM: ‘I had a chat with Alberto to see how was the situation, but then I had a chat also with Pierer Mobility Group guys, my bosses – Pit [Beirer], Hubert [Trunkenpolz], Stefan [Pierer] – and we realise for both parties it was better to stay, to keep this project, working with this project until we see this project being world champion. Next year I finish my contract, so I will be free and if something comes for sure we’ll need to discuss again with KTM and Pierer Mobility. But at the moment I’m pleased where I am’.

That said, the #44 also thanks Honda for the interest in his services: ‘I’m really grateful to Honda because to leave from one place and then get a call to get back means that the job done wasn’t too bad. And the relationship with them has always been very good even if the results were tough. I’m very pleased with that, this means a lot for me, but my future is different’.

O conteúdo Pol Espargaró rejected the chance to return to Honda: ‘It was better to stay in this project’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.