Honda MotoGP test rider Aleix Espargaro is facing a period of recovery after a significant crash at a private Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) test session in Sepang this week left him with four broken vertebrae.
The three-time MotoGP race winner, who joined Honda as a test rider at the end of the 2024 season following his retirement from grand prix racing, has played a key role in HRC’s ongoing bike development efforts. For 2026, Espargaro stepped away from professional cycling to focus exclusively on his responsibilities with Honda.
Espargaro and fellow test rider Takaaki Nakagami were at Sepang to continue development work, including further testing of Honda’s 2027 850cc prototype. However, on Tuesday, Espargaro suffered what he described as a “very heavy crash,” resulting in several contusions and four fractured vertebrae. Fortunately, the injuries did not impact his spinal cord.
Taking to Instagram, Espargaro updated fans on his condition:
> “On Tuesday, during the test here in Sepang, I suffered a very heavy crash. As a result, I sustained several contusions and four broken vertebrae, although by a very small margin, and thankfully, they did not affect the spinal cord. After a few days at CU Aurelius Hospital, where I’ve been treated incredibly well, I’m now able to fly home with [my wife] Laura, who came to the rescue from the other side of the world… and there we will evaluate whether surgery is needed at Quiron Dexeus. Thanks to my entire Honda team for taking care of me these past few days. Sorry for the scare, I’ll be back!”
Espargaro’s absence is a setback for Honda’s development programme, especially given the recent progress with their new prototype and the demanding 2026 testing schedule. While Espargaro had not been officially announced as a wildcard entry for the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, the event had been a potential opportunity for his first race appearance of the season.
This year’s MotoGP calendar includes four in-season tests following the Spanish, Catalan, Czech, and Austrian Grands Prix. The latter two will see the current grid run on Pirelli tyres for the first time, a move that has so far only been trialed privately by test riders.
Meanwhile, MotoGP’s race action was set to continue this weekend in Qatar, but the event has been postponed due to conflict in the Middle East.
Espargaro will now return to Barcelona for further evaluation and potential surgery. The MotoGP community, along with Honda and his fans, will be wishing him a swift and full recovery.
