Pol Espargaro keen on two options for WorldSBK 2026 ride

Pol Espargaro is reportedly still trying to find a race seat in the World Superbike Championship.

Espargaro hasn’t been a full-time racer since losing his MotoGP KTM seat to Pedro Acosta at the end of 2023.

That demotion came after Pol Espargaro suffered injuries in a serious crash at the first round of 2023 in Portimao.

But he has shown glimpses of his talent in recent MotoGP races as a replacement for absent KTM riders.

Espargaro finished ninth in Brno and eighth in Hungary.

His manager Alberto Valera is still trying to whip up interest in signing Espargaro in the WorldSBK paddock, according to GPOne.

Valera has been in touch with BMW who are still considering who their second rider will be in 2026.

BMW replaced the outgoing Toprak Razgatlioglu with Danilo Petrucci, but seem set to dispose of Michael van der Mark too.

Their factory ride is an enticing prospect.

Likewise, the vacant Honda left behind by Iker Lecuona is of interest to Espargaro and his manager.

Lecuona has been signed by Aruba.it Ducati to replace Alvaro Bautista and Honda haven’t yet named a replacement.

Espargaro’s manager Valera has been in touch with Honda about their bike, according to the same report.

The Honda opportunity is intriguing because his brother Aleix Espargaro is a test rider for the same manufacturer in MotoGP.

“Sometimes people ask me if I regret retiring. No, I don’t regret it because I never retired,” Espargaro is quoted by Autosport.

“In reality, I’m still racing and I want to keep racing.

“I didn’t retire; I had to due to a life situation. I crashed, hurt myself badly, had to recover and wasn’t fit to be a MotoGP rider. But I didn’t retire – I wanted to keep racing and I want to keep competing.

“[Competing] is what I do when I get on the bike and the results come out. The idea that I’ve retired isn’t real. I’m still racing.”