Following Joan Mir’s medical withdrawal from the Japanese and Indonesian rounds and Takaaki Nakagami’s Motegi collarbone injury, Honda HRC has called up test rider Aleix Espargaro alongside Luca Marini for Mandalika, with Motegi stand-in Somkiat Chantra bound for WorldSBK duty in Estoril.
Espargaro will make his first MotoGP race appearance of the 2026 season, his first start since the 2025 season finale in Valencia, where he concluded a limited five-race programme with a best finish of 16th in Assen.
The veteran Spaniard’s return comes after an arduous recovery from a major crash during testing at Sepang in April, where he suffered four fractured vertebrae. Although his physical condition is still progressing back to 100%, Espargaro proved to be HRC’s sole remaining option for Round 17.
Joan Mir out of Indonesian GP
Meanwhile, Joan Mir remains resting at home under medical advice from Dr. Angel Charte and his team at Dexeus University Hospital as he undergoes tests for an ongoing illness that has severely impacted his energy levels.
Honda’s alternative replacement options were ruled out by conflicting commitments and fresh injuries. Somkiat Chantra, who stepped in at Motegi to secure a career-best P15 in qualifying and score three Sunday points, is unavailable due to prior commitments in Estoril for Round 11 of the WorldSBK Championship, where he races full-time for Honda.
Moreover, Honda wildcard rider Takaaki Nakagami was sidelined after sustaining a fractured left collarbone during last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix in front of his home crowd.
Stepping in alongside Luca Marini for Round 17 of the 2026 season, Espargaro will have to get up to speed rapidly at Mandalika, a track where he last raced during his final full-time campaign with Aprilia in 2024, suffering a DNF in the main race.
“Of course, it is always a great honour to join the factory Honda team in MotoGP, and I want to say thank you to them for trusting me to ride while Joan and Taka recover, Espargaro noted.
“After the crash at the start of the year and my injury, I have not had as much time on the bike as I would like, and we travel to Mandalika with realistic expectations, as I’ve had only a small number of laps and it’s a really physical track before we even speak about the weather.
“Let’s understand how we can best help the team and Honda this weekend and focus on that.”
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