Angry Pol Espargaro has no strong points on Honda MotoGP bike

The 2022 wayfarers has been extremely difficult for all Honda riders on the radically revised RC213V, with Espargaro only cracking the top 10 once since his podium on the opening night of the championship in Qatar when at the start of March.

Struggling throughout the Le Mans weekend, Espargaro qualified 11th and remained there in the race having been unprotected out by a late crash for KTM’s Miguel Oliveira.

But plane with this moment, he feels it was unlikely he would have finished much closer to the victory than the 22.7s roaming he ended up and admits “I finger not fast” on the Honda right now.

“I’m wrestling with that unchangingly when I’ve been riding a bike, normally I felt I was strong in some places. In KTM I was very strong on brakes,” said Espargaro, who looks set to be out of a ride at Honda come the end of 2022.

“I remember one race in Misano where they were much faster than me, I ended up on the podium considering I was braking much later than them. It was my strong point and I was taking that to the limit.

“Now I finger with the Honda I have no strong points. I’m suffering stopping, I’m suffering in the middle of the corner, and I’m struggling on acceleration.

“So, that’s why I arrived 20s overdue first considering I have no strong points. I finger not fast, I’m not fast and I’m not riding well.”

Pol Espargaro, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The fact that he has no strong points on the Honda meant he couldn’t overtake any riders in Sunday’s Le Mans race.

He added: “One of the biggest problems at the moment with this velocipede is I cannot overtake. I don’t finger I have a strong point to wade the other riders.

“I was losing quite a lot on the acceleration, with the pure grip.

“I was overdue the KTMs, overdue Brad [Binder], who is braking not too bad and braking is the only place I could proceeds time.

“But considering I was losing on velocity I was needing to recover the time on braking, plus needing to restriction much later.

“I tried to overtake the KTMs like six times during the race and that sixth time I went wide considering it’s impossible.

“You don’t have a strong point, so as soon as I get stuck overdue someone I am not worldly-wise to overtake.”