Honda runs out of riders: Aleix Espargaro steps in at Mandalika

• Espargaro fractured four vertebrae during a test in Malaysia in April, and Mandalika will be his first race weekend since the 2025 season finale in Valencia
• Joan Mir is out on medical advice, and there is still no clear diagnosis
• Takaaki Nakagami is sidelined after breaking his collarbone at Motegi, while Somkiat Chantra is committed to the Superbike round in Estoril

Honda HRC Castrol has officially confirmed Aleix Espargaro as Joan Mir’s replacement for the Indonesian Grand Prix. The Spaniard, who races with number 41, will share the Mandalika garage with Luca Marini. It is a comeback under difficult circumstances for Espargaro, who has spent very little time on the bike this year. For Honda, his call-up is the result of an unusual chain of absences that affects not only this race weekend but also the development work on the 2027 bike.

Why is Aleix Espargaro riding for Honda in Mandalika?

Espargaro is riding because Honda had no other option left. Joan Mir remains out, test rider Takaaki Nakagami is injured, and Somkiat Chantra has World Superbike commitments on the same weekend.

For the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, Honda had initially brought Chantra over from its Superbike programme to take over Mir’s bike. That is not possible in Indonesia, because the Grand Prix clashes with the WorldSBK round in Estoril, where the Thai rider races for Honda’s factory Superbike team.

Nakagami would have been another option. He raced at Motegi as a wildcard, meaning with an additional grid slot outside the permanent line-up. It would most likely have been his last wildcard appearance, as the exemption allowing test riders to compete in races is set to be scrapped from next year. But on his very first outing on a track still slippery after rain, he crashed at the corner before the tunnel and landed on his left shoulder. Honda confirmed during the first practice session that he had fractured his left collarbone, which requires surgery. Team manager Alberto Puig expects him to be out for four to five weeks, provided the operation goes well.

In theory, Stefan Bradl is also still under contract as a test rider. However, as he currently works as a TV commentator, it is questionable what he could contribute at short notice. That left only Espargaro.

Why is Joan Mir still missing?

Mir is absent on medical advice because the cause of his health problems has not yet been found. For several months he has been suffering from symptoms that affect his energy and performance.

Recently, the symptoms are said to have worsened. Examinations at the Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona have so far not produced a clear diagnosis. MotoGP chief medical officer Dr. Ángel Charte recommended strict rest and rehabilitation, ruling Mir out of Motegi and Mandalika. Honda only stated briefly that Mir would miss both races on medical advice in order to understand the cause of his symptoms. Honda has not given a date for the return of the 2020 world champion, and further information is to follow in due course.

Mir had already missed the Austrian Grand Prix earlier this autumn. At the time, his return was still planned for Motegi. These are Mir’s final months with Honda, as he will ride a Ducati for Gresini in 2027.

How fit is Aleix Espargaro after his injury?

Espargaro is fit to race again, but after his long break he has completed very few laps. How fit he really is will only become clear in Mandalika.

The accident happened in mid-April during private Honda testing at the Sepang International Circuit. Espargaro fractured four vertebrae, with his spinal cord only narrowly spared. Surgery followed, along with around five months of rehabilitation. It was not until mid-September that he got back on a MotoGP bike at a private test day at Mugello. Although he was able to complete the session, he is said to have still been well below his pre-crash level. After that test, Honda was also advised against fielding him at Motegi.

Espargaro himself is open about the fact that he is not arriving in peak form:

“Of course it is always a great honour to join the factory Honda team in MotoGP and I want to say thank you to them for trusting me to ride while Joan and Taka recover. After the crash at the start of the year and my injury, I have not had as much time on the bike as I would like, and we travel to Mandalika with realistic expectations as I’ve had only a small number of laps and it’s a really physical track before we even speak about the weather. Let’s understand how we can best help the team and Honda this weekend and focus on that.”

What does Honda expect from Espargaro in Indonesia?

Honda is deliberately not setting any result targets. Above all, Espargaro is meant to get used to the current RC213V race bike again and then return his focus to development work.

The track does not make it easy for him. The 4.3-kilometre Mandalika International Circuit on the island of Lombok is considered especially demanding physically because of its layout, the heat and the high humidity. Espargaro knows the circuit, but after his long break he will have to get back up to speed quickly.

His race record with Honda is modest. The three-time MotoGP winner ended his full-time career at the end of 2024 after eight years with Aprilia, then joined Honda as a development rider. In the 2025 season he contested five races for Honda, with 16th place at Assen his best result. The 37-year-old reportedly does not rule out competing in further Grands Prix, depending on Mir’s recovery.

What do the absences mean for Honda’s 850cc bike?

The absences hit Honda at an important stage of development for 2027, when new technical regulations come into force in MotoGP, including engines with a displacement of 850 cubic centimetres.

After Espargaro’s crash in April, much of the work on the new RC214V prototype fell to Nakagami. According to Honda, he will now be out for at least a month. He was supposed to continue set-up work at two test days in Sepang in the week after Mandalika. The other manufacturers, Aprilia, Ducati, Yamaha and KTM, are testing at Jerez during the same period. Honda’s Sepang test has not been cancelled so far. If it goes ahead, Espargaro is considered the most likely rider.

That leaves Espargaro with a dual role. He is to race when needed while remaining the reference rider for the new bike. Another crash would therefore affect not only the race weekend in Indonesia but also make preparations for next season even harder. The new bike is due to make its track debut at the test straight after the season finale in Valencia, where Fabio Quartararo will ride the Honda for the first time.

In sporting terms, Honda is under pressure anyway. In the manufacturers’ standings, the brand currently sits fourth, ahead of only Yamaha.

What are Luca Marini’s chances in Mandalika?

For Marini, Mandalika is a track where Honda has recently been strong. He finished fifth there in 2025, his best result on the RC213V so far.

According to Honda, the Italian with number 10 has already shown promising signs this season, including in Hungary and San Marino. The first goal is to qualify directly for Q2 on Friday, the second part of qualifying in which the front grid positions are decided. As so often in Indonesia, the weather is likely to play a major role throughout the weekend.

Marini is looking forward to the race: “I’m looking forward to this weekend as Mandalika is a circuit I really enjoy and the last two years it has been a really strong track for us.” He also says that a strong Friday is the foundation for a good weekend and that Indonesia, with its many Honda fans, is a special country for every Honda rider.

What’s next in the 2026 MotoGP season?

Mandalika is the 17th round of the 2026 MotoGP season and follows straight on from the Japanese Grand Prix. The team travelled directly from Tokyo to Lombok.

The title fight is getting tight. After his win at Motegi, Marc Márquez arrives in Indonesia just two points behind Jorge Martín. For Honda, this part of the season is less about results and more about solving its rider problem and not further delaying work on the 2027 bike.

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