2023-08-03 21:49:39
After the long injury break following his violent Portimão crash, Pol Espargaró returns to the MotoGP paddock at Silverstone with GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3. On Thursday he also passed the final fitness test.
During his appearance in the question and answer session with media representatives, the future of the now 32-year-old was also a topic that Espargaró also openly addressed following KTM boss Stefan Pierer announced in the SPEEDWEEK.com interview: “If Pol performs as expected , he will drive a full season next year. We have a contract with him.”
“It is clear – we are here to perform,” said Espargaró. ‘It’s no surprise. I’ve been in MotoGP for ten years now and it’s always been clear to me that if I want to stay here in MotoGP I have to perform.”
‘It’s the only way. Especially in my situation following a serious injury and with little racing, doubts are there, for sure. But the doubts are there for all drivers – I’m included. I’m the first to want to get back to my normal condition. Of course I signed a contract for 2023/2024. Of course I’m also the first one who wants to show performance.”
The GASGAS Tech3 driver then added: “I’m just one of the drivers at this plant, but I really feel part of this project and this family. So I won’t hesitate to resign if the results aren’t right – I want to see this work shine!”
Espargaró described the long time on the couch: “It’s a mix of feelings. It’s part of the family I’ve been separated from since Portimão. I’ve missed the adrenaline of racing and my routine that I’ve known since I was 15 years old. I was away for a very long time and was able to be with my family a lot. It was a violent and frightening fall that is very thought provoking. Things are always far away but can happen. But it’s also all part of our sport. Drivers’ careers are also built on these things.”
Speaking of his private testing on a Superbike machine in Barcelona, Pol said: “First of all, I would like to thank the Circuit de Catalunya for letting me ride alone during a busy period. I just wanted to feel my body during the tests and everything went well. I’m recovered quite well, but not quite at 100 percent in terms of strength. I have to see how my body reacts here now. MotoGP is very different from a production bike – it’s all super, super fast.”
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