P1racenews AI automatic summary:
While Pol Espargaro isn’t ruling out a full-time MotoGP return in the future, he acknowledged that ‘one chapter is closing’ in his racing career.
Spanish rider Pol Espargaro is stepping down from his GASGAS Tech3 seat to make way for rookie Pedro Acosta next season, but he will continue to be involved in testing and wild-card duties with KTM alongside Dani Pedrosa. The exact wild-card plan has not been announced yet. The Valencia race marked a temporary halt to Espargaro’s full-time Grand Prix career that began in 2006. Espargaro expressed his emotions and the difficulty of stepping away from MotoGP, mentioning how much he missed the energy and atmosphere of the grid. Although Espargaro plans to return to the MotoGP grid in 2024, he sees the Valencia finale as a milestone in his career, marking the start of the end of a chapter. Due to his injuries earlier in the season, Espargaro understands the need for recovery time and intends to properly prepare for future races, like his teammate Dani Pedrosa. He admits that he still needs more recovery time for ongoing nerve issues and muscle recovery, which could potentially take months or even up to a year and a half. Espargaro plans to use medication, treatments, and technology at the Red Bull APC in Austria to improve his weak areas. Despite a late crash, he finished his final full-time MotoGP race in 14th place at Valencia.
