Aleix Espargaro has withdrawn from the remainder of the German MotoGP weekend due to injuries sustained in Assen.
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro will not be able to compete in the German MotoGP after the rider realized that his pain would not allow him to continue despite being cleared to participate in the first free practice session at Sachsenring.
The Spaniard only managed to run three laps in Friday morning’s opening practice before withdrawing due to pain in his finger, injured during the Sprint race in Assen.
Espargaro fractured the fifth metacarpal in his right hand in a fast Sprint accident last Saturday. The Aprilia rider hoped that the heavy left-hand bias of the track (just three right-hand turns) would make the pain manageable this weekend.
However, the 2025 HRC test rider – who shaved off the ‘bad luck’ blond hair after his Assen accident – was seen struggling to put a modified glove on before the session.
When he returned to the pits following his few slow laps, Doctor Charte was seen making a “it’s over” gesture as he spoke with a disappointed Espargaro as Aprilia officially confirmed the #41 will not be participating in any more racing this weekend.
A few minutes after the decision was announced, Espargaro gave a brief interview to the official broadcast and admitted that the pain he felt hindered his riding to the point of being a danger to other riders.
“I had a lot of pain before coming here but I decided at the very last moment to come,” Espargaro said to MotoGP.com’s pit lane reporter Simon Crafar during FP1.
“Obviously, the doctors told me I wouldn’t be able to ride because I have a big injury in my hand. It’s on the right hand, which I use to accelerate, but I didn’t want to stay at home.
“So, I came here, I tried my best but it’s impossible, I am in a lot of pain. Every time I went into the right corners, I could not control the throttle. It’s also dangerous for the others, so I was forced to stop.”
Ordinarily, Espargaro would be replaced at Aprilia for the weekend by test rider and regular wildcard Lorenzo Savadori, but the Italian was also injured in the MotoGP Sprint last weekend, meaning only Maverick Vinales will represent the factory Aprilia team this weekend in Germany.
Espargaro now has about a month to recover during the summer break in hopes to make a return at the British MotoGP at Silverstone on August 2-4. He currently ranks ninth in the world championship.
