Aleix Espargaro is set to race in MotoGP again after HRC called him up for the Mandalika Grand Prix. The return comes roughly six months after his serious back injuries at Sepang and could be the Spaniard’s final appearance in the premier class. MotoGP will ban wildcard entries from 2027, adding significance to an opportunity that arrived only after his original plans for this season were cancelled.

Espargaro fractured four vertebrae during a private Honda test at Sepang in April, an incident he described as the worst accident of his career. He subsequently underwent further surgery to remove metalwork from his back and returned to testing action last month. The injuries had forced the cancellation of his planned MotoGP outings earlier this year.

The 36-year-old says he is not fully recovered and still feels pain in his back at the end of the day. Yet the demanding six-month recovery brought his appetite for racing back. Espargaro said that he had decided to step away from competition two years earlier, but now feels he has been given “one more chance”. He also expects the comeback to be difficult because matching the pace of MotoGP’s riders will not be straightforward.

A race seat alongside the 850cc programme

HRC turned to Espargaro because Joan Mir is recovering from an undisclosed illness, Takaaki Nakagami is injured after Motegi and Somkiat Chantra has returned to his WorldSBK duties. Espargaro is a three-time MotoGP race winner with Aprilia and made four Honda race appearances last season.

His Mandalika assignment will involve more than the race itself. He has done very little training since January and only started gym work about a month before the Grand Prix. Alongside competing, he will have to support Honda’s test programme for its 850cc prototype. His next run on that machine is scheduled immediately after the Grand Prix, giving him a second task during a comeback that remains physically demanding. Espargaro has already acknowledged that he is not back to full fitness, even as the chance to ride again has renewed his motivation.