Aleix Espargaró has been hospitalised following a serious crash during a private Honda MotoGP test at the Sepang International Circuit earlier this week.
The Honda test rider was taking part in development work alongside the HRC test team when he suffered a heavy accident on Tuesday. He was later admitted to hospital for treatment after sustaining multiple injuries.
Espargaró confirmed via social media that he suffered several contusions and four fractured vertebrae. However, he stressed that the injuries were fortunately not severe enough to affect his spinal cord.
After spending several days under medical care in Malaysia, he has since been cleared to travel home with his wife, where further assessments will determine whether surgery is required.
The crash marks a significant setback for Honda’s testing programme, with Espargaró playing a key role in the development of the RC213V and future prototype machines. His absence is expected to increase pressure on fellow test rider Takaaki Nakagami to continue the development workload in the meantime.
Despite the seriousness of the incident, Espargaró expressed gratitude for the medical staff and Honda team support, while indicating his intention to return once fully recovered.
