Pol Espargaro finished 14th in the Misano MotoGP, with physical strain becoming the defining limit of his race. The Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider was making his third start in the current stint replacing Maverick Vinales. His weekend had initially offered more promise: Espargaro placed inside the top 10 in Friday Practice, but could not sustain that level through the full race distance.

Espargaro said afterwards that he had enough energy to remain competitive over Sprint distance, whereas the longer race eventually pushed him beyond his sustainable pace. The final eight laps were particularly difficult, as his right arm and back began to restrict him. He felt a Sprint would have allowed him to run at the level of Brad Binder and Enea Bastianini, while the full-length event made both the physical and technical demands harder to manage.

Why the grip matters

The KTM rider identified Misano’s high grip as a central reason for the workload. More traction lets the bike operate close to its limit on acceleration, but it also raises the forces generated under braking, during direction changes and through fast corners. Espargaro contrasted that behaviour with Barcelona, whose lower grip, in his view, leaves riders far less fatigued.

He did not link his condition to one isolated cause. Espargaro pointed to missing the preseason required to build his physical condition, riding less often and lacking enough experience of how the motorcycle behaves once its tyre has completed 20 laps. He also referred to lost training time and to the time he has spent testing KTM’s 850cc bike for 2027.

Following the other riders from the opening lap adds another layer of fatigue when he is already operating near the limit. The 35-year-old said he feels more tired than he should even when he trains, contrasting his situation with the 25-year-old riders he is racing against. He nevertheless expressed respect for Marc Marquez and Johann Zarco. His Misano result was therefore shaped by the circuit’s grip, limited regular riding and the preparation required for a full MotoGP distance.