Aleix Espargaro: HRC, Albesiano ‘mix’ will make Honda ‘really strong’
“HRC doesn't have to change everything… But today the Italian e⛦ngineers are on top of the world”
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Aleix Espargaro may have made his Honda debut, during the Barcelona post-race test, but it seems Romano Albesiano will need to wait until 1st January to start his new role as HRC’s MotoGP technical director.
Espargaro and Albesiano have worked together at Aprilia since the Spaniard🍬’s arrival in 2017. Espargaro was still as low as 17th in the world championship in 2020, but the RS-GP then took dramatic steps forward.
A first podium and eighth in the world championship in 2021 was followed by a victory, six podiums and f𒈔ourth in the 2022 standings.
That ൲became sixth in 2023, despite two more grand prix wins. Espargaro’s team-mate Maverick Vinales was then the only rider to defeat Ducatiꦏ on a Sunday in 2024, while Espargaro claimed a Sprint victory in Catalunya.
“I believe a lot in the talent of Romano. I think more time and perspective will give more cr🐬edit to what Romano and I achieved in Aprilia, sincerely,” Espargaro said during the closing stages of his final full-time MotoGP campaign.
Albesiano took over the technical side of Aprilia Racin🧸g following Gigi Dall’Igna’s departure to Ducati at the end of 2013.
“What Romano was able to do these last 6-7 years in Aprilia has been amazing. Remarkable,🏅” Espargaro continued.
“We've grown these last two ꧒or three seasons, but the first ones were very difficult. He never gave up, he had a lot of ideas, he made the bike year by year better.
“I have always a good relation🌺ship with Romano, a lot of respect to him, and I think it's like a present, to move to the biggest factory iꦅn this paddock with a lot of history.”
Albesiano will become the fi🍌rst non-Japanese to hold such technical authority at HRC.
“It's like a dream, to be the technical director of 🧔HRCꦆ is unbelievable,” Espargaro said.
The task now facing Albes▨iano - and Espargaro - is to repꦍlicate the rise of the RS-GP with the struggling RC213V.
Honda, the most succ🅰essful manuf🏅acturer in grand prix racing, has been lodged at the bottom of the constructors’ standings for the last three seasons.
Without Marc Marquez and🍸 last year’s COTA winner Alex Rins, Honda sunk to new lows in 2024, with a best res🍬ult of eighth by LCR’s Johann Zarco in the wet Thai Grand Prix.
The RCV’s peak dry result was ninth by the French🏅man in Indonesia, Honda’s only other top ten of the season. Zarco was 17th in the world championship with Takaaki Nakagami 19th, Joan Mir 21st and Luca Marini 22nd.
“I think HRC💞 doesn't have to change everything, they won a lot in the past with their way of work. But obviously today the Italian engineers are on top of the world, so to mix꧂ this will make Honda really strong for next year,” said Espargaro.
“And once aﷺgain, that Honda HRC 🔯put the target on Romano, myself as a test rider, my crew chief, one mechanic that's going to join me also - it means we did a really good job in Aprilia.
🔜“So full credit to Aprilia, because we have to be ver🍃y proud.”
Espargaro’s testing🐷 deal was confirmed in July, three months before HRC’s surprise Albesiano announcement.
The #41 said he decided to join the HRC testin🍬g program ‘around Jerez’ in April. Espargaro was cagey about his personal involvement in Albesiano moving to HRC, insisting the Italian wa𝔉s already a target.
“Obviously, I talked good♏ about Romano… [but] it is a from a long time ago that they [HRC] liked Romano,” he said.
“I made my decision to go to Honda a🧸t the beginning of the season, around Je♛rez.
“I talked a lot with them, the engineers, I ask🧔ed a lot of questions… I knew they were looking to reinforce the Japanese technical team with a European technician.
“I know how good Romano is and how impressive what he di✨d in Aprilia is.”
Taking Albesiano’s place at Aprilia wওill be Fabiano Sterlacchini, who h🎐as previously held senior positions at Ducati and KTM.
Espargaro, whos🦋e good friend and reigning world champion Jorge Martin arrives at Aprilia for 2025, insists the changes wo💖n’t damage the Noale factory.
“I think it is OK for both sides. It is goౠod for Aprilia that new technicians will arrive, new riders and a new technical boss who will not ’wake up’ but give fire t🤪o everybody in Noale,” Espargaro said.
“They have a good structure there but when you have a new boss it gives everybody [reason] to show they are good. Th🧸e ඣbase of the bike is good and Jorge is a super-fast rider. So I think it is also good on the Aprilia side.”
Espargaro went on to finish 14th fastest (+1.2s) on his RCV debut at the Barcelona test, putting him ahead of all the full-ti♐me Honda riders except Johann Zarco.
Martin and new Aprilia team-mate M🉐arco Bezzecchi were 11th and 13th respectively🥀.
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 exi🌃t story and Marc Marquez’s 🐟injury issues.
