It’s time to take stock. Like every year for three years, Let's talk MotoGP is embarking on a fairly important undertaking: taking stock of each driver at the end of the 2024 season, today, the turn of a driver who will be missed, Aleix Espargaro. For a good part of the winter, we will go back through the rankings in reverse, to the point of talking in detail about the world champion's campaign. Are you ready? Here we go!
Yesterday, we returned to the case of Marco Bezzecchi; click here to find the corresponding article.
A year that doesn't count
“To talk about retirement is to be there a little” I said, a year ago, in my prediction concerning Aleix Espargaro's 2024 season. Therefore, knowing that he was not very far from hanging up his leathers, I did not expect much from this great driver, and it is from this prism that I will judge him today.
Indeed, it seems quite unfair to me to weigh the campaign of Aleix Espargaro and that of Maverick Vinales, for example, in the same way. One, at 35 years old, gave the impression of not committing as much as the young drivers who populate the current grid. Additionally, the downgrading of the Aprilia project mid-season
did not help to give him a final boost of motivation.
Barcelona, its garden. Photo: Michelin Motorsport
Given these parameters, I would say that it is an honest, honorable even season. It should not be compared to that of other Aprilia riders – although he does much better than the Trackhouse Racing duo – but rather to the last full seasons of the greats of his generation with impressive longevity. I'm thinking of Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo or Valentino Rossi. As a reminder, Aleix Espargaro has 345 Grand Prix startsjust three fewer than Andrea Dovizioso, second driver with the most races contested. He is quite well ahead of Alex Barros and other Loris Capirossi, who also had very long careers.
If we have fun comparing everyone's latest exercises,
Aleix Espargaro's is not ridiculous.
An honorable record
Big brother Espargaro concludes his last season as a starter in 11th position in the general classification, with 163 points in his bag, all in 18 races. He was again very consistent in his performance, only appearing out of the points on four occasions. His speed, which no longer needs to be demonstrated, allowed him to score two pole positions : one in Barcelona for the first Grand Prix contested in Catalonia, and the other at Silverstone, to everyone's surprise.
This season, he was more discreet. Photo: Michelin Motorsport
He has never been on the podium at the end of a Sunday race, but was third in the Sprint in Qatar as well as in Austria. The icing on the cake is this victory, offered by the gods of MotoGP, in the short format in Barcelona. This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful moments of the year, where Aleix Espargaro, who started from pole, demonstrated that he was a legend.
How can we describe this campaign as a failure?
I can't imagine it. Yes, she is less successful on a statistical level, but we must take into account her two GPs missed due to injury. At his age, he still managed to get back into shape, undoubtedly thanks to his exceptional physical condition.
A legend
After the 2023 British Grand Prix, I published an article extolling its greatness. So a question comes to me, which, I believe, is legitimate. Is Aleix Espargaro a legend? After all, he has longevity, incredible victories (his catalog is crazy, he only has masterful successes at the highest level), and this ability to embody a project. At Suzuki as at Aprilia, his valuable help allowed both brands to reach the summits, factually. I could talk about his polarizing but passionate character, his helmet decorations, his performance on the CRT machines of the time… he has the CV of a legend.
Besides, and you will perhaps punish me for these comments in the comments, but I really think that Aleix Espargaro's legacy in MotoGP (Aspar CRT, Forward, Suzuki, Aprilia and everything I mentioned before) is more important than that of Dani Pedrosa. It's just an opinion, granted, but it defends itself with solid, totally objective arguments.
One of my favorite photos from this year. Photo: Michelin Motorsport
Conclusion
If we compare it to the rest of the grid, it wasn't a great Aleix Espargaro campaign. He was beaten by his teammate for the second time in his career in MotoGP – Vinales had already done so in 2016 at Suz’ – and did not even enter the top 10 in the general classification, which had not happened since. 2020. But given the context, and if we correctly understand his two poles and this poetic Sprint victory in Barcelona, It is impossible to minimize his performance which closes a twenty-year-long epic.
I'm curious to know if you share my opinion regarding Aleix Espargaro, so, tell me in comments!
As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
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