Pol Espargaró

Pol Espargaró Villà (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈpɔl əspəɾɣəˈɾo βiˈʎa]; born 10 June 1991) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer who for 2023 rode in the MotoGP class for the newly named GasGas Factory Racing team, a development of Tech3 using KTM machines, after which he will be a test rider within the KTM organisation.

[2][3] This earned him a move to Monster Yamaha Tech3 in 2014, until 2017 where he signed for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and secured a maiden podium at the 2018 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix .

This rider from replaced the injured Andrea Iannone at Campetella Racing and made his debut on board a Derbi at the Czech Republic Grand Prix.

He ended the season winning five consecutive races in Spanish 125cc Championship to become champion, followed by a 6th-place finish at the Valencian Grand Prix.

The season start with two good results, a seventh in Qatar and fourth at Jerez, then a couple of Top 10s until the Catalan round where he finished fifth.

He won in Great Britain, He came second in Italy and Indianapolis and third in the Czech Republic after starting on all occasions from pole position.

In 2013 he remained in the same team, obtaining six wins (Qatar, Catalonia, Netherlands, San Marino, Australia and Japan), a second place in Malaysia, two third places (Germany and Aragon) and six pole positions (Qatar, Catalonia, Netherlands, San Marino, Australia and the Valencian Community).

In May 2013, rumours appeared linking Espargaró with the MotoGP Tech 3 satellite Yamaha racing team, to replace British rider Cal Crutchlow.

This season he was forced to miss the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic , Austria and Great Britain as he fractured his left collarbone in the warm up of the Czech Republic GP and the Aragon Grand Prix for a new fracture of the same bone remedied in free practice of the GP.

[12] Espargaró received substantial injuries in a practice crash at the Portimão Circuit on the Friday before the initial race weekend of the 2023 season, and was unable to compete.

[13][14] With a lengthy recovery time anticipated, the team nominated KTM employee Jonas Folger as replacement rider from the season third-round at the COTA race weekend on 15–16 April, and onwards as required.

[15] Espargaró made his return at the British Grand Prix in August,[16] and late in the year confirmed he will be a test rider within the KTM organisation with the possibility of some wildcard races during 2024.

[17] In the 2024 Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix on the layer of the Red Bull Ring he manage to finish 9th of the sprint race.

1949  B. Ruffo 1950  D. Ambrosini 1951  B. Ruffo 1952  E. Lorenzetti 1953  W. Haas 1954  W. Haas 1955  H. Müller 1956  C. Ubbiali 1957  C. Sandford 1958  T. Provini 1959  C. Ubbiali 1960  C. Ubbiali 1961  M. Hailwood 1962  J. Redman 1963  J. Redman 1964  P. Read 1965  P. Read 1966  M. Hailwood 1967  M. Hailwood 1968  P. Read 1969  K. Carruthers 1970  R. Gould 1971  P. Read 1972  J. Saarinen 1973  D. Braun 1974  W. Villa 1975  W. Villa 1976  W. Villa 1977  M. Lega 1978  K. Ballington 1979  K. Ballington 1980  A. Mang 1981  A. Mang 1982  J. Tournadre 1983  C. Lavado 1984  C. Sarron 1985  F. Spencer 1986  C. Lavado 1987  A. Mang 1988  S. Pons 1989  S. Pons 1990  J. Kocinski 1991  L. Cadalora 1992  L. Cadalora 1993  T. Harada 1994  M. Biaggi 1995  M. Biaggi 1996  M. Biaggi 1997  M. Biaggi 1998  L. Capirossi 1999  V. Rossi 2000  O. Jacque 2001  D. Kato 2002  M. Melandri 2003  M. Poggiali 2004  D. Pedrosa 2005  D. Pedrosa 2006  J. Lorenzo 2007  J. Lorenzo 2008  M. Simoncelli 2009  H. Aoyama 2010  T. Elías 2011  S. Bradl 2012  M. Márquez 2013  P. Espargaró 2014  T. Rabat 2015  J. Zarco 2016  J. Zarco 2017  F. Morbidelli 2018  F. Bagnaia 2019  Á. Márquez 2020  E. Bastianini 2021  R. Gardner 2022  A. Fernández 2023  P. Acosta 2024  A. Ogura

Espargaró at the 2010 Dutch TT
Espargaró (left) at the 2010 Australian Grand Prix
Espargaró at the 2014 French Grand Prix
Espargaró at the 2022 British Grand Prix