Honda has selected Aleix Espargaro to replace Joan Mir at the Indonesian Grand Prix. The Mandalika appearance will be Espargaro’s first outing for HRC in the 2026 season and his first since last year’s finale at Valencia. Mir remains sidelined by health issues that have not been confirmed.

Espargaro’s return follows a sharply restricted period of track preparation. The three-time MotoGP race winner was injured during pre-season testing at Sepang, suffering four fractured vertebrae. He later underwent surgery to remove metalwork from his back, where plates and screws had been fitted. The recovery curtailed his planned RC213V testing and also scuppered scheduled wildcard appearances.

Espargaro is approaching the Indonesian round without inflated expectations. He has said that he has completed only a small number of laps on the bike, while Mandalika is physically demanding even before the weather becomes a factor. His immediate aim is to work out how he can provide the greatest help to Honda and the team, rather than define the comeback by an aggressive sporting target.

At the previous Japanese Grand Prix, Honda WorldSBK rider Somkiat Chantra stood in for Mir. The Thai rider finished 13th in Sunday’s race, three places behind Luca Marini. Marini remains Honda’s leading rider in the standings and is trying to close on Enea Bastianini and Fermin Aldeguer in the contest for 10th place in the championship.