When Aleix Espargaro steps off his Aprilia RS-GP for the final time at this weekend’s Barcelona Grand Prix finale, he will be able to look back at a long and ultimately successful MotoGP career that few - including the man himself - are likely to have predicted unfolding the way it did.
In fact, celebrating his career path in grand prix racing as one no rider has traversed before him and probably never will is arguably the greatest tribute one can pay to the 35-year-old.
