Endurance: Espargaró says ‘bye bye’ to Yamaha

Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider Pol Espargaró has admitted that his Suzuka 8 Hour victory, his second on the trot, was perhaps even more poignant as it marks his swansong after three years with the manufacturer.

Set to make a move to KTM in MotoGP in 2017 – and to most likely end his association with Suzuka for the foreseeable future – the Spaniard admitted that it was the perfect way to mark his departure.

“It was such an emotional win. There are still races to go with Yamaha in MotoGP, but it felt like the last best moment with them. It’s been three beautiful years with them, and the win felt like the big ‘bye bye’ for me and for them. I’m so happy for them, because they put everything they have on the table to let us win, and they let us make history.

“I cannot explain in words how happy I am. A lot of people said that the first time would be the best, but the second time can be even better! We had such an amazing feeling with the riders; last year it was good but this year it was really special.

“Maybe it’s because I know it’s the last one, but I tried to feel the victory a little more than last year and it was beautiful. I would love to come back but I want KTM to just focus on MotoGP for now though – although you never know in the future!”