'Pol is going there and, deep inside himself, he is sure he can chal🐭le𒉰nge Marc'.

Those were the words of Herve Poncharal on Pol Espargaro's ex💙pected move to Repsol Honda next ꦚseason, to take on current six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez.

Espargaro joined Mot🌱oGP with Poncharal's then Tech3 Yamaha team, as the reigning Moto2 champion, in 2014.

The Spaniard stayed for three years, finishing a best of sixth in the world championship (during his rookie season) but just missing out on a podium by the time he moved with team-mate Bradley Smith to the new fꦕactory KTM project.

Espargaro has been the Austrian factory's lead rider ever sไince, breaking his rostrum drought in the Valencia rain in 2018 and claiming the RC16's best dry result of sixth at Le Mans la🃏st season, on the way to eleventh in the world championship.

Suc🌞h efforts look to have caught the eye of Repsol Honda, which now looks set to place Espargaಌro alongside Marquez in 2021.

"Pol is an incredible, charming person. He is always in a good mood, always pushing, always positive, seeing the glass half full," Poncharal told ltxcn.top.

"It was not very easy with the Yamaha because he's an aggressive rider and the M1 needs to be ridden very smoothly. But honestly we had a great time together when he was r𒊎idin𓆉g with us.

"He learned a lot, I believe, and I was very happy to see him taking the lead role as a factory rider when he joined KTM. I didn't know what to think about it when he first went there, but Pol was so happy with this new role. Development, pushing. I think KTM o🎃wes a lot to what Pol did.

"But he's also been growing a lot and it will be interesting to see him oꦜn a Honda, which is - I don't want to say a similar machine to the KTM - but which is quite close in terms of spec and riding style.

"I know he started racing with Marc as a young🐽ster. So he knows Marc very well and they've been pushing each other all through their careers up to MotoGP. We all remem💃ber their Moto2 seasons and battles.

"So it's a good story. These two guys have got a common history. A common ca💯reer. And now we will see ⛄both of them on the same bike, in the same team, with a similar aggressive style.

"Of course, you can also imagine that if Pol is going there [to Repsol Honda] it's not to prepare his retir🧔ement. Pol is telling us, 'I feel the best in my career' in terms of riding, fitness and strength.

"So I know Marc is the number one at the moment, but Pol is going there and, deep inside himself, he is sure he can challenge Marc. We have to wait for 2021 but that's goin🎀g to be something very interesting, to see 93 and 44 side-by-side on the same bikes.

"There's going to be a lot of excitement. We already ♔have a lot of things to look forward to in '21 and that's going to be one more!"

Miguel Oliveira will move from Tech3 to take over Espargaro's pl🅠ace at the official KTM team next season, with MotoGP race winner Danilo Pet⛎rucci arriving from Ducati to join Poncharal's squad alongside Iker Lecuona.

From this season Tech3 wil🌸l have the same specification of RC16 machiner🍷y as the factory team.