ALEIX ESPARGARO TO REPLACE JOAN MIR AT HONDA IN INDONESIA

Aleix Espargaro will replace Joan Mir at Honda for this weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix, as Mir remains sidelined by health problems that have not been publicly specified. Honda announced the change ahead of the Mandalika round, where Espargaro is set to make his first MotoGP appearance since the 2025 season finale in Valencia.

The stand-in role comes with limited preparation. Espargaro has had little time on the RC213V after suffering four fractured vertebrae in a crash during a Honda test at Sepang earlier this year. The injuries also disrupted his planned testing and wildcard appearances; he later underwent surgery to remove metalwork fitted to his back.

“Joining the factory Honda team in MotoGP is always a great honour,” Espargaro said, thanking HRC for trusting him to ride while Mir and Takaaki Nakagami recover. He cautioned that he had completed only a small number of laps and described Mandalika as physically demanding, with the weather adding another challenge. “We travel with realistic expectations,” he said, adding that the priority was to work out how he could best help Honda and the team over the weekend.

Mir’s absence follows a spell of illness. Honda had already said after the Austrian Grand Prix that he would miss the Japanese and Indonesian rounds, with MotoGP medical chief Dr Angel Charte prescribing rest. Somkiat Chantra, Honda’s WorldSBK rider, filled in at Motegi, finishing 14th in the sprint and 13th in the Grand Prix to score three championship points. He is back on WorldSBK duty at Estoril this weekend.

Honda has also lost test rider Nakagami for the Indonesian round. He fractured his left collarbone in a heavy crash during first practice at Motegi, leaving Espargaro to step in for both absent riders’ recovery period.

Espargaro acknowledged the opportunity and the circumstances behind it: “I want to say thank you to them for trusting me to ride while Joan and Taka recover.” His focus, he said, would be on supporting the team rather than setting expectations for results.