Fortunately, Espargaro appears to have escaped any long-term or life-altering injuries, but nonetheless suffered four fractures vertebrae and multiple contusions to the spine.

Espargaro is one of the wildest and loudest characters in the world of MotoGP, and was instrumental in the development of Aprilia's machinery to be where it is today. Now, his attention is focussed on improving the Honda project and bringing them back to their former glory years.

Since retiring from the grid at the end of 2024 after a competitive career in the premier class, Espargaro has been devoted to road cycling and working as a test development rider for Honda's MotoGP team.

The news comes at a particularly bad time for Honda with the Jerez test approaching soon, though their primary riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini will be able to take part in that.

While many riders are out of contract at the end of the year and plenty of young talent is coming through from Moto2, very few deals have been officially confirmed for next year. See how the grid is shaping up for all teams here.