Espargaró against IRTA: "It protects the teams rather than the riders”

Aleix Espargaró has always been concerned with contractual aspects and the relationships between riders and teams, and has touched on this again on Thursday at Phillip Island, as riders prepare for the Australian GP.

Aleix Espargaró and the riders’ contracts

Following Marc Marquez’s split from Honda – with whom #93 was linked until 2025, unless there was a contract recission – the feeling is that rider contracts have become too ‘fluid’, creating a situation in which even long-term agreements can be dissolved in an instant, with a real risk that riders might unexpectedly find themselves without a ride.  

A situation that threatens the MotoGP riders’ peace of mind, as explained by the Aprilia rider. “I’ve learned that anything can happen in this world”, comments Aleix. “I’ve always been the first to want to respect contracts, but there’s a lot of room for improvement in this area. Everything changes fast, this is what I’ve learned throughout my career.”

Espargaró and the contracts: the dig at IRTA

“Usually, it is the teams that break a contract, not the riders”, continues the Spaniard. “If it happens because the rider wants it, then it’s because there’s already an agreement between the parties, a little like what’s gone on with Marc and Honda. But if it happens in Moto2 and Moto3, when contracts are broken due to a lack of results or injury or something, that’s not good, because when a rider is winning many races he’s definitely not going to ask for money. Over 15 years of racing, I’ve not seen teams increasing salaries following repeated race wins – we saw this with Raul Fernandez, who won many races in Moto2 but received no increase”.

“What could be done to change the situation? I think IRTA protects the teams too much and not the riders” continues Espargaró, commenting on the idea of creating an association that represents the riders: “It could be useful, but it shouldn’t be necessary. Why? Because the championship should protect the riders. If there’s a contract, it should be respected.”