“Countdown is on” - Aleix Espargaro targets Honda MotoGP return after surgery
Aleix Espargaro says his MotoGP return is getting closer after having plates and screws removed from his injured back.
Aleix Espargaro is targeting a return to Honda MotoGP testing duties next month.
The Spaniard said the “countdown is on” after undergoing follow-up surgery to remove metalwork inserted into his back.
The plates and screws were required after Espargaro suffered four fractured vertebrae in what he described as “the worst accident of his career” during private testing at Sepang in April.
The injuries also scrapped Espargaro’s planned MotoGP wildcard appearances and he hasn't raced since last year's Valencia finale.
However, Espargaro is now close to resuming testing after making “a record-breaking recovery.”
The triple MotoGP race winner wrote on Instagram:
“Pit stop for surgery to remove the plates and screws they put in my back 4 months ago. A record-breaking recovery and now the countdown is on to get back on the Honda in September! Can’t wait to twist the throttle again! Let’s gooooo! 💪✊”
Espargaro’s injuries meant that fellow test rider and former MotoGP racer Takaaki Nakagami has been shouldering development work of the 2027 Honda prototype.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
