In an thrilling flip of occasions for Aleix Espargaró, the—now—Aprilia rider and newbie YouTuber has acquired a one-of-a-kind possession for his non-public assortment. The racer’s very personal Suzuki GSX-RR from the 2016 MotoGP season is now a part of his non-public assortment. 

This improvement marks a major milestone for Espargaró, who has been sharing glimpses of his life as a racing driver on his YouTube channel since earlier this 12 months, providing followers an insider’s perspective on his every day routines and granting them entry to his spectacular storage. 

Suzuki pulled some strings to save lots of his 2016 GP bike from the crushers. Some bikes were saved for display at museums, however it seems that Espargaró was thought of one other exemption. As for the destiny of the 2022 GSX-RR ridden by Alex Rins, fingers crossed that’s additionally saved. 

It’s price noting that this specific GP bike holds sentimental worth for Espargaró, because it’s the precise one he rode again within the 2016 GP season. Espargaró’s mechanic, Robert, loaded the GSX-RR into the motorhome of the Aprilia racer throughout a stopover in Milan. 

Overwhelmed with pleasure, the 33-year-old Catalan exclaimed, “It is not a dream, it is actual! Suzuki has truly given me the GSX-RR that I competed with within the 2016 MotoGP World Championship. I am virtually moved to tears; it is really a goosebumps second. It is unimaginable. Usually, it is not possible to acquire a Japanese MotoGP machine for private possession. I’ve at all times inquired about it, and the reply has persistently been no. Nevertheless, after they retired from MotoGP, they contacted me and provided the bike that initiated the challenge as a token of gratitude. At first, I believed it was a joke, however after a 12 months and a half of paperwork and contracts, the 2016 GSX-RR #41 is now in my possession.” (translated)

The one alteration required was changing the entrance fairing with the unique one, excluding winglets. When Espargaró test-rode his previous GSX-RR, he was astounded, stating, “I did not bear in mind it being so small—virtually as slim as a Moto2 Kalex. It is unimaginable how MotoGP bikes have advanced over time. The 2016 Suzuki is remarkably lovely, however undoubtedly, at this time’s MotoGP bikes are way more aggressive.”

Expressing his gratitude, Espargaró prolonged his because of Suzuki, Sahara-san, Davide, and Roberto Brivio for making this extraordinary acquisition potential. The present Aprilia works driver beamed with delight as he shared, “It is a dream; I really feel like a bit of child. Seeing the bike once more was an extremely emotional expertise as a result of it symbolizes the place all of it started. Suzuki was the primary producer to consider in me and subsequently modified my life. It was via Suzuki that Aprilia seen me, resulting in victories and podium finishes… That is why this bike holds such a particular place in my coronary heart.”

Espargaró competed for Suzuki in 2015 and 2016, securing an Eleventh-place end within the World Championship on each events. Whereas a shared podium remained elusive, he achieved a outstanding pole place on the 2015 Catalunya GP.