Why Espargaro faces Marquez with no fear at Honda

By:

Lewis Duncan

Dec 3, 2020, 5:57 PM

Pol Espargaro will face the toughest challenge of his racing career pairing up with six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez at Honda in 2021 - should Marquez be fit. But his toil during his four-year KTM stint has readied him for the fight

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The 2021 rider market was always poised to be one of the most unpredictable with most contracts up for grabs at the end of the 2020 campaign. But there were few who had money on Pol Espargaro departing KTM to join Honda alongside Marc Marquez, whom HRC renewed for an unprecedented four years early in 2020.

When the dust had settled after the news, first revealed by Motorsport.com, had broken, it didn't take long for reason and logic to take hold. The Honda is a difficult bike, requiring an aggressive riding style to extract the best from. In that respect, it wasn't that far removed from the KTM - though of course, when racing finally got underway the RC16 emerged as a much friendlier bike from previous years.

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Lewis Duncan

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Lewis Duncan is Autosport's International Editor and primary MotoGP reporter. A motorsport fan from a young age, Lewis became interested in journalism when he won the star letter competition in the February 2012 issue of F1 Racing Magazine. A member of the Autosport Academy from 2017, Lewis became a freelance motorcycle racing correspondent for Autosport in 2019 before becoming a full-time staffer in 2020 as International Editor.

While MotoGP coverage is his priority, Lewis also covers other motorcycle racing across the Motorsport Network, and hosts the Tank Slappers Podcast. He has also occasionally commentated on 750 Motor Club meetings. Away from motorsport, Lewis is a keen record collector with a collection unashamedly largely featuring Iron Maiden and Rush and an avid guitar player.