Aleix Espargaro withdraws from Indonesian Grand Prix for recovery time
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 11, 2026
Mandalika withdrawal
Aleix Espargaro did not take part in the Grand Prix race at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. Honda HRC Castrol and Espargaro decided to withdraw from the event after Honda weighed the recovery time he needed following his big testing crash earlier in the season. Honda also cited the physical demands of the Mandalika circuit and the physical discomfort Espargaro was still dealing with from injuries suffered earlier in 2026.
Espargaro’s Mandalika weekend
Espargaro crashed in practice at Mandalika, then finished Saturday’s Sprint in last place. After the Sprint, he said he had no strength in his arm and also said he had arm pump. Espargaro had been in Lombok as a replacement for Joan Mir, who was sidelined with an undisclosed illness. The weekend therefore included a practice crash, a last-place Sprint finish and comments about his arm strength before Honda and Espargaro decided to withdraw.
Honda’s lineup plans
Honda was weighing whether to rest Espargaro before a two-day test of its 850cc MotoGP prototype in Sepang, and Espargaro was set to travel there for the test. Honda also said it would later decide whether Mir could return at Phillip Island. Takaaki Nakagami was unavailable because of a collarbone injury from the Japanese Grand Prix. Those decisions followed Espargaro’s withdrawal from the Indonesian Grand Prix and Honda’s stated focus on the recovery time he needed.
