Pol Espargaró
Pol Espargaró Villà is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer who currently rides in the MotoGP class for the KTM factory team. Pol is the younger brother of Aleix Espargaró, and is best known for winning the 2013 Moto2 World Championship. He won the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2015 with Bradley Smith and Katsuyuki Nakasuga, and in 2016 with Nakasuga and Alex Lowes. He is the first rider to finish on the podium riding a KTM motorcycle in MotoGP.
Career
125cc World Championship (2006–2010)
Youngest rider to score a championship point (2006)
Born in Granollers, Barcelona, Espargaró, arrived in the 125cc World Championship in participating in the last six races of the year. This promising rider from Barcelona replaced the injured Italian Andrea Iannone at Campetella Racing and made his debut with the Italian team on board a Derbi at the Czech Republic Grand Prix. Two months before, Espargaró had made history as a wildcard in the Catalan Grand Prix when he finished 13th to become the youngest ever point scorer in a Grand Prix at the age of just 15 years and 8 days. His end of season run-in was spectacular, winning five consecutive races in Spanish 125cc Championship to become champion, followed by a 6th-placed finish at the Valencian Grand Prix.First podium (2007)
In 2007, Espargaró aimed to further enhance the family reputation over a full season with Campetella Racing Junior Aprilia. The season start with two good results, a seventh in Qatar and fourth at Jerez, then a couple of Top 10s until the Catalan round where he finished fifth. Espargaró's turning point came in the Czech Republic where he finished in sixth place, before a top five in San Marino. The Portuguese race was the highlight point of his short career, claiming a third-place finish from seventh on the grid. Espargaró battled for the lead with Héctor Faubel and Gábor Talmácsi, finishing just 0.2 seconds behind Faubel, who won.Return to Derbi (2008–2010)
After running last year on board an Aprilia RS125 in Belson Campetella, he switched the Aprilia for the Derbi, in this occasion an RSA and partnered by Joan Olivé. He ended up 9th in the championship, with 3 podiums and 2 poles.Moto2 World Championship (2011–2013)
Espargaró won the 2013 Moto2 championship.MotoGP World Championship (2014–Present)
Tech 3 (2014–2016)
In May 2013, rumours appeared linking Espargaró with the MotoGP Tech 3 satellite Yamaha racing team, to replace British rider Cal Crutchlow. After Crutchlow signed a two-year deal with the factory Ducati team, Espargaró signed a two-year deal with Yamaha, the first year of which would be with Tech 3. Espargaró remained with Tech 3 into the season, finishing in ninth place in the final championship standings. Espargaró again remained with Tech 3 into the season, and currently lies eighth in the championship standings.KTM (2017–present)
Prior to the 2016 Catalan Grand Prix, it was announced that Espargaró would join the factory-supported KTM team for the season. He will partner Bradley Smith in the team, with both riders moving across from the Tech 3 outfit.Career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
By season
By class
Races by year
| Year | Class | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Pos | Pts |
| 125cc | Derbi | SPA | QAT | TUR | CHN | FRA | ITA | CAT 13 | NED | GBR | GER | CZE Ret | MAL 14 | AUS 16 | JPN 19 | POR 12 | VAL 6 | 20th | 19 | ||||
| 125cc | Aprilia | QAT 7 | SPA 4 | TUR 11 | CHN 9 | FRA 11 | ITA 9 | CAT 5 | GBR Ret | NED 11 | GER Ret | CZE 6 | RSM 5 | POR 3 | JPN Ret | AUS 11 | MAL Ret | VAL 10 | 9th | 110 | |||
| 125cc | Derbi | QAT 8 | SPA 14 | POR 13 | CHN 4 | FRA 4 | ITA 3 | CAT 2 | GBR DNS | NED | GER 16 | CZE 8 | RSM Ret | IND 2 | JPN Ret | AUS 5 | MAL 6 | VAL DNS | 9th | 124 | |||
| 125cc | Derbi | QAT 4 | JPN 3 | SPA 7 | FRA Ret | ITA 4 | CAT Ret | NED 9 | GER 5 | GBR 10 | CZE 5 | IND 1 | RSM Ret | POR 1 | AUS 4 | MAL 3 | VAL 3 | 4th | 174.5 | ||||
| 125cc | Derbi | QAT 4 | SPA 1 | FRA 1 | ITA 3 | GBR 2 | NED 3 | CAT 3 | GER Ret | CZE 2 | IND 3 | RSM 6 | ARA 1 | JPN 4 | MAL 2 | AUS 2 | POR 10 | VAL 2 | 3rd | 281 | |||
| Moto2 | FTR | QAT 22 | SPA 20 | POR 6 | FRA 13 | CAT 16 | GBR Ret | NED Ret | ITA 28 | GER 13 | CZE 16 | IND 2 | RSM 9 | ARA 14 | JPN 15 | AUS 5 | MAL 3 | VAL 14 | 13th | 75 | |||
| Moto2 | Kalex | QAT 3 | SPA 1 | POR 2 | FRA 6 | CAT Ret | GBR 1 | NED Ret | GER 4 | ITA 2 | IND 2 | CZE 3 | RSM 2 | ARA 1 | JPN 2 | MAL 10 | AUS 1 | VAL 8 | 2nd | 269 | |||
| Moto2 | Kalex | QAT 1 | AME Ret | SPA 3 | FRA 19 | ITA 4 | CAT 1 | NED 1 | GER 3 | IND 4 | CZE 4 | GBR 8 | RSM 1 | ARA 3 | MAL 2 | AUS 1 | JPN 1 | VAL 29 | 1st | 265 | |||
| 2014 | MotoGP | Yamaha | QAT Ret | AME 6 | ARG 8 | SPA 9 | FRA 4 | ITA 5 | CAT 7 | NED Ret | GER 7 | IND 5 | CZE Ret | GBR 6 | RSM 6 | ARA 6 | JPN 8 | AUS Ret | MAL 6 | VAL 6 | 6th | 136 | |
| 2015 | MotoGP | Yamaha | QAT 9 | AME Ret | ARG 8 | SPA 5 | FRA 7 | ITA 6 | CAT Ret | NED 5 | GER 8 | IND 7 | CZE 8 | GBR Ret | RSM Ret | ARA 9 | JPN Ret | AUS 8 | MAL 9 | VAL 5 | 9th | 114 | |
| 2016 | MotoGP | Yamaha | QAT 7 | ARG 6 | AME 7 | SPA 8 | FRA 5 | ITA 15 | CAT 5 | NED 4 | GER Ret | AUT 10 | CZE 13 | GBR DNS | RSM 9 | ARA 8 | JPN 6 | AUS 5 | MAL 9 | VAL 6 | 8th | 134 | |
| 2017 | MotoGP | KTM | QAT 16 | ARG 14 | AME Ret | SPA Ret | FRA 12 | ITA Ret | CAT 18 | NED 11 | GER 13 | CZE 9 | AUT Ret | GBR 11 | RSM 11 | ARA 10 | JPN 11 | AUS 9 | MAL 10 | VAL Ret | 17th | 55 | |
| 2018 | MotoGP | KTM | QAT Ret | ARG 11 | AME 13 | SPA 11 | FRA 11 | ITA 11 | CAT 11 | NED 12 | GER Ret | CZE DNS | AUT | GBR | RSM Ret | ARA DNS | THA 21 | JPN 13 | AUS Ret | MAL Ret | VAL 3 | 14th | 51 |
| 2019 | MotoGP | KTM | QAT 12 | ARG 10 | AME 8 | SPA 13 | FRA 6 | ITA 9 | CAT 7 | NED 11 | GER 12 | CZE 11 | AUT Ret | GBR 9 | RSM 7 | ARA DNS | THA 13 | JPN 11 | AUS 12 | MAL 11 | VAL 10 | 11th | 100 |
| MotoGP | KTM | SPA 6 | AND | CZE | AUT | STY | RSM | EMR | CAT | FRA | ARA | TER | EUR | VAL | THA | MAL | ARG | 6th* | 10* |
* Season still in progress.