Aleix Espargaro’s place in the Indonesian Grand Prix remains undecided after a difficult return to competition at Mandalika. The three-time MotoGP race winner was brought into Honda’s factory team to stand in for the unwell Joan Mir. Takaaki Nakagami had initially been due to take the ride, but the Japanese rider fractured his collarbone in an FP1 crash at the Japanese Grand Prix the previous week.

Espargaro had already crashed in FP2 after changing direction and being unable to support the front of the motorcycle, according to his account. He was also dealing with arm pump and completed the Sprint largely to see the effort through rather than to pursue a result. He qualified last and finished last in the 13-lap Sprint, crossing the line 38.336 seconds behind the winner.

That physical difficulty has made his race start uncertain. Espargaro said he tried not to take risks or push too hard in the Sprint, describing the decision to finish as a mark of respect for Honda and for himself. After struggling through such a short race, he acknowledged that completing the full Grand Prix would be a considerably harder task.

The decision also has to be considered alongside Honda’s immediate schedule. A two-day 850cc test is planned at Sepang next week. Espargaro said he felt ready for testing because the workload normally consists of two or three consecutive laps. Racing, by contrast, requires many laps in succession at a very high pace. He had not raced earlier in the year after a serious testing crash, adding another element to the management of his return.