Aleix Espargaro spots Honda's "biggest problem" behind Marc Marquez

When Marc Marquez overtook Honda wild-card Aleix Espargaro during his comeback in the Spanish MotoGP, the HRC test rider grabbed a golden opportunity to compare his RC213V against the dominant Ducati Desmosedici.

While Espargaro, making his Honda Grand Prix debut after retiring at the end of last season, climbed from 19th to 13th, Marquez was carving back through the field after an early crash.

While accepting that the tight and twisty Jerez layout masked some of the RC213V’s engine deficit - and agreeing “we have to keep working on the engine also” - the laps spent chasing Marquez indicated to Espargaro:

“The engine is not the biggest problem from my point of view.”

“The biggest problem is the vibration.

“Against Marc, I was very focused during those two laps, trying to follow, trying to understand how to follow.

“In the hard braking, the Honda is good. But on the fast corners, it's impossible to follow the Ducati [due to the vibration].  

"So we are missing. We have to improve that.”

Espargaro took the chequered flag in 14th, only to be handed a post-race tyre pressure penalty, erasing his first Honda points.

“I think I did solid job and during the weekend we had the same problems, especially with Joan and Johann, but also with Luca. 

"It's clear where to attack and I'm very happy and proud to race with these colours.”

Even the tyre pressure penalty had given Espargaro ideas for the future.

“Another thing that I need to improve on the Honda is the [tyre pressure] alarm system, it’s a bit complicated for the riders!” Espargaro said.

“It's something that we have to make a little bit clearer… but [despite the post-race penalty] I will eat ice cream tonight!”

Espargaro is planning at least one further wild-card this season while Honda could homologate his prototype Jerez engine for at least some of the full-time riders at Le Mans this weekend.