Current Repsol Honda rider Pol Espargaro has revisited his early seasons in MotoGP&nb🥀sp;which could have led to a completely different path to that ♏of now…

The Spanish rider joined the premier class 🌠in 2014 with the Tech 3 Monster Yamaha outfit, and after finishing sixth ꧑as a rookie, a bright future with the Japanese manufacturer looked to be on the cards.

However, two ‘tougher’ seasons followed in 2015 and 16 -ཧ finished ninth and eighth respectively, before Espargaro moved to the brand new KTM project. 

Team-mate to British rider Bradley Smith during his early years wi♊th Yamaha (and again at KTM), Espargaro was given ‘some promises’ that in his view were not delivered upon - one of which was to move to the factory Yamaha squad a🐬s discussions regarding Valentino Rossi retiring were being had. 

At the same time as those discussions took place, Suzuki, who were back in the premier class for their seꦉcond consecutive year after a three-year absence from 2011-14 were interested in signing the Yamaha rider, a move Espargaro ultimately rejected.

Whilst talking on MotoGP’ official ‘Last on the brakes’ podcast, Epsargaro revisited that time and said staying with Yamaha was possi𒊎bly the ‘wrong choice’. 

"I don't know if I have talked about this many times, but when🌄 I was in my second year of MotoGP, well, my first, after my first year in Moto💫GP with Yamaha," added Espargaro. 

"I finished fifth I think (was actually sixth), very close🍨 to fourth, which was Dovi on a Ducati. And then in that year, it was the year that Suzuki was coming back into the World Championship and I had an offer. I mean, we were talking with them.

"I got some promises from Yamaha an🐟d they were talking about, as you can imagine, the retirement🌄 of Valentino Rossi. 

"And in that moment, I said after my first year ওbeing almost at the top,𝓀 in the top five, 'okay, just wait, because maybe you're going to be in the factory team'.

"Then, the second year, it was not as good at Yamaha. I had super arm pump, I needed s🍬urgery in the middle of the season, I was in the Suzuka 8 Hour race a𒁏nd it was not a great, great year.

"Then I saw that Suzuki started to make some amazing results and were very, very fast. And in ๊that moment, I said, ‘okay, you made the wrong choice, you should have moved when you had the opportunity'."

Espargaro also went on to talk about how that decision played a huge ro❀le in him joining KTM as he didn’t want to miss out on another factory opportunity. 

Looking ahead to this weekend, Espargaro will once again lead Repsol Honda after it was confirmed Marc Marquez has been ruled out due to suffering from diplopia - double vision - an injury the eight-time world champꦦion had in 2011 which then began a 4.5 month recovery. 

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s season finale at Valenci🌃a, Espargaro said: "First🦹 I want to wish Marc [Marquez] all the best during this difficult time and I hope he can recover soon and well. 

"His absence will of course be felt at the track, but we arriveꦐ in Valencia still motivated to do our job the best we ca༺n. 

"It’s a circuit that I really enjoy a lot, I achieved my first MotoGP podium there in 2018 and I think we can do well there thi𝓀s year. 

"The circuit is very cold at this time of year ꩵand this is good for us. It’s the last race, I want to continue the speed from the last races to endও well before 2022 begins in Jerez."