P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Aleix Espargaro and Taka Nakagami are in farewell mode at MotoGP’s season finale. And their career changes are prompting another veteran’s exit from the grid too
Aleix Espargaro and Takaaki Nakagami will retire as full-time premier class riders after the Solidarity Grand Prix at Barcelona on Sunday, with Stefan Bradl, Honda’s 34-year-old tester, expected to make his final start in MotoGP as well. Bradl, with 130 starts in MotoGP, will make his 131st start on Sunday, having been called upon by Honda in various capacities since the end of his full-time career in 2016. Espargaro and Nakagami will transition to test rider roles at Honda, while Bradl is content to let them take over potential wildcard outings in the future. Bradl, a former Moto2 champion, will end his MotoGP career with a pole and podium finish achieved during his time as an LCR Honda rider. Despite leaving the door open for a possible return in case of injury to a wildcard rider, Bradl is at peace with the idea that this may be his final start in MotoGP.
