Espargaro Steps In for Ailing Mir at Indonesian MotoGP

Honda Racing Corporation announced on Tuesday that test and development rider Aleix Espargaro will stand in for Joan Mir at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia in Mandalika this weekend. Mir continues to recover from undisclosed health issues on medical advice and also sat out last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, where WorldSBK rider Somkiat Chantra deputised and finished 13th. For Espargaro, it is an emotional comeback. The Spaniard's 2026 was wrecked by a private test crash at Sepang earlier this year that shattered four vertebrae in his back, required medical evacuation to Spain and multiple surgeries, including the removal of metalwork. He has managed only a handful of laps on the RC213V since and was forced to scrap planned wildcard appearances. The 37-year-old, a winner of three MotoGP grands prix across 14 full-time premier-class seasons, last raced at the 2025 Valencia finale. He takes over from fellow test rider Taka Nakagami, who had been covering for Mir until breaking his collarbone in a Motegi crash. Espargaro struck a realistic note ahead of one of the calendar's most physical tracks: limited mileage means the weekend is about helping the team and re-learning the bike, not results. The announcement lands as the title fight reaches boiling point: Marc Marquez heads to Indonesia just two points clear of Jorge Martin after his Motegi double, with the race running October 9-11.