Pol Espargaro has been a mainstay of the MotoGP™ World Championship for the last eight years, with the Spaniard enjoying premier class success at Yamaha, KTM and Honda. As a result, it's easy to think you know absolutely everything there is to know about the 31-year-old by now. However, we think we've found 10 things that you probably didn't know about the 2023 GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 rider, so check them out!
1. If the GASGAS rider wasn’t travelling around the world fighting for MotoGP™ glory every weekend, he says he would like to be a vet instead. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise though, with his love for animals clearly seen through his one dog: a husky called Eina.
2. His number 44 has been with him throughout the majority of his Grand Prix career. But he actually wanted to use the number 4 in honour of his favourite rider, Brazil’s Alex Barros. However, that wasn’t possible, so he just doubled it and raced with 44.
3. His favourite hobby is playing the piano and he’s actually an extremely talented pianist. So much so that the Spaniard has promised he will put on a concert for the paddock if he wins the MotoGP™ World Championship.
4. From the outside it might look like the MotoGP™ riders are fearless, but Pol does have a phobia. He’s admitted he suffers from Vertigo, so we’re not likely to see him at the top of the famous COTA Tower any time soon.
5. Just like most riders, Espargaro has an assistant that helps him at most Grands Prix. Borja Gonzalez has been his right-hand man for most of his MotoGP™ career. However, he’s busier than your average assistant as he also balances some pitlane reporting for Spanish broadcaster DAZN as well as writing for a handful of Spanish publications.
6. Espargaro’s favourite actor is the Oscar-winning Denzel Washington.
7. His favourite moment in Grand Prix history dates back to 1999 when fellow Barcelona-born rider Alex Criville became the first Spaniard to win the premier class title.
8. When it comes to disconnecting between races, Espargaro has two opposing options. The first is heading to the mountains in Andorra where he now resides, the second is heading to the sun and music of the famous party island Ibiza.
9. Much like his older brother Aleix Espargaro, the 31-year-old is good friends with current and former Barcelona players Sergi Roberto, Marc Bartra and Marc Muniesa.
10. Finally, Espargaro’s dream pairing from MotoGP™ history is to get the chance to ride a Honda NSR500 (Spain’s Alex Criville’s title-winning machine) around the Californian circuit Laguna Seca.