Pol: ‘I don't know what to expect’

The short break since Japan saw the official announcement that the 32-year-old Spaniard will hand his race seat over to rookie Pedro Acosta for 2024, with Espargaro seeing out the second year of his current contract by assisting in testing and wild-card duties.

Espargaro had responded to the news by posting on social media:

“It is true that I would have liked to continue racing full time in MotoGP because I think I still have the speed to be among the best, but the truth is that the step aside that I will take next year by joining the test team and making several wild cards is the result of an understanding between the two parties given the contractual problems in which the group is at the moment and thinking of a long-term collaboration to make Pierer Mobility Group the reference in the MotoGP World Championship!”

Espargaro is certainly young enough to use the year off to regain full physical fitness from his Portimao injuries and return, full-time, in 2025.

But for now, his focus is on Mandalika, a track where Espargaro topped the 2022 pre-season testing timesheets for Repsol Honda, only to have the rug pulled from under him, performance-wise, by the change to a stiffer tyre construction for the March race weekend.

"Honestly, I don't know what to expect for this weekend. The first time I rode in Mandalika, I was super fast and felt really good with the track. Then everything changed in the GP, so it is going to be interesting to discover how I am going to feel there,” Espargaro said.

“We also have some ideas to continue working on the bike that we couldn't test in Japan because of Sunday's conditions.

“I am still in the process of understanding the bike as it changed a lot from the one I rode at the preseason, and that is not so easy to do during the race weekends because of the schedule.

“So let's see if we find a good starting point to enjoy the weekend in Indonesia."

Mandalika has been resurfaced yet again for the 2023 round, meaning rookie team-mate Augusto Fernandez, who will stay to partner Acosta next season, will face a more level playing field.

"The results in Japan were super positive for us, so I am looking forward to jumping back on the bike in Mandalika, and continuing working, improving, and trying to reduce the gap with the top guys,” said Fernandez, who took his best finish since Le Mans with seventh in the Motegi rain.

“Last season in Moto2 was not so bad for us, so let's see what we can do this weekend. Either way, we have three busy weeks incoming, and I am super excited to get started with the Indonesian GP!"

Phillip Island and Buriram will follow Mandalika on successive weekends.