Pol Espargaro: “The emotions I felt were a little bit too much”
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The former Tech 3 GASGAS rider closed out his full-time MotoGP career at Valencia before being replaced by Pedro Acosta at the one-day test.Espargaro was under contract until the end of 2024 initially, but with injury causing him to miss large parts of the season, and KTM needing to promote Acosta in a bid to fend off interest from other manufacturer, Espargaro was the odd man out after KTM confirmed Augusto Fernandez would be staying.Marc Marquez’s cryptic comment about a future at Honda Trackhouse Racing join MotoGP: A famous musician, factory bikes and more…That meant Espargaro, who will take up a test rider role with the Austrian brand next year, closed the doors on a 10-year career in MotoGP at Valencia, the scene of his first premier class podium.”It was a very tricky day honestly, you know, it’s not the last time I’m going to be on a grid but obviously the emotions that I was feeling on that grid they were a little bit too much,” said Espargaro when talking to MotoGP.com. “Every time I raised my head and I was looking at all the people in the stands, the noise, the tension, all my teammates around, all the guys that I have raced with since I was a little guy. “It’s been amazing. I just feel so, so lucky to have been with you know living my life, my story, trying to chase my dreams through the last 10 years so I’m a very lucky guy.”While Espargaro would have liked to continue in MotoGP had KTM been able to offer a fifth bike, the Spaniard feels as though he made the most of his time as a full-time racer which was aided by having the right people around him.Related Watch: Bezzecchi bumps Pol Espargaro 6 times after Qatar practice Espargaro: ‘I felt that I had to step aside and help a rider like Pedro’Espargaro added: “A day to remember because, OK I have raced my last race as a permanent guy in MotoGP but obviously because I had those people surrounding me. This is with the people I live every day with, every hour, not just in racing but at home.“It’s the people that make me happy so at the end of the day I need them from now till the end of my days so it was just amazing to be with them.”
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