ALEIX ESPARGARO SAYS SURGERY HARDWARE FROM APRIL SEPANG CRASH HAS BEEN REMOVED

Aleix Espargaró is moving closer to a return to MotoGP after surgery in Barcelona to remove hardware from his back. The Honda test rider suffered a severe crash during an HRC test at Sepang International Circuit in April, where he broke four vertebrae and also sustained bruising.

According to the report, the operation in April involved stabilising the fractures with plates and screws. Those metal implants have now been taken out this week at the Universitätsklinikum Dexeus in Barcelona. Espargaró shared the update on social media, describing it as “a short stop for the operation, where the plates and screws that were put into my back four months ago were removed.” He added that his recovery has been “record-breaking,” and said the next phase is already underway: “and now it’s the countdown until I can get back on the Honda in September. I can’t wait to get back on the gas!”

The timing is significant for his season. Because of the injury, Espargaró has not been able to take part in any wildcard appearance this year. His most recent MotoGP race weekend came at the 2025 season finale in Valencia. With the hardware removed and his rehabilitation progressing, the plan is for him to return in September on Honda’s RC213V and resume his work as a test rider.

The report notes that it is currently unclear whether he will appear at specific Grands Prix such as Misano or Spielberg, but the September return to the bike is described as confirmed. It also highlights that Honda’s wildcard situation is already set elsewhere: Takaaki Nakagami will ride for Honda at the Japan Grand Prix in early October.

Espargaró’s comeback comes in the same period as other Honda-related recovery stories. The article also points to LCR rider Johann Zarco, who is targeting his own return in September after a serious crash in Barcelona in mid-May. Zarco has been working intensively on his recovery, and in multiple rounds he has been replaced by Cal Crutchlow—at Mugello, Balaton, Brünn, Assen, the Sachsenring, and Silverstone. The report adds that Zarco will also be back on the MotoGP Honda for Aragon, scheduled for 28 to 30 August.