By finishing fifth, Pol Espargaró brought his Tech3 team not only its best result of the season but also the best place among the private teams. This after convincing qualifying which placed him on the fourth spot on the starting grid. The best position on the grid this year. Bradley Smith's teammate therefore had every reason to be happy with his weekend. And yet... Happy yes, but from there to knowing happiness...
Car Pol Espargaro is not the type to settle for accessit. The gross result is not bad but the net balance sheet does not blow through the roof. And he is the first to specify it: “ during practice and especially at the end of the warm-up, we were faster than Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi. Then the race arrives and it's always the same observation: Valentino is 14s ahead of us and Jorge 24s. So, ultimately, if we take the weekend as a whole, it's not a good result ».
Pol Espargaró's questions therefore still remain unanswered. Under Yamaha contract, but never considered by the brand to replace a Jorge Lorenzo at the start, he would like to understand what is happening to him on the track and behind the scenes: “ I can't explain this to you » tells on crash.net the younger brother of Suzuki official Aleix. “ When the official Yamahas accelerate, they push, and when they brake, well, they brake. An ease that I experienced during the warm-up, but which I did not find in the race ».
He becomes more precise: “ With each acceleration, they take me three to four meters, which counts in the end. So we try to compensate by braking late and with a full tank, we veer off. We make mistakes. I don't know what to say or what to do. We have to understand before the next race because after an incredible weekend, this result is not satisfactory. You can finish first in the privates without forcing yourself, but I showed that I could be faster than other drivers. Like Pedrosa or Viñales and yet, in the race, I could not follow them. Likewise, I had to fight hard with my brother Aleix while during all the sessions, I dominated him. If we can confirm my test pace during the race, then everything will be easier. Which is not the case. So I'm bitter ».
The track had changed during the race in the opinion of all the riders who pointed the finger at the Moto2 race as a factor in this change in grip. Yes, but here again, Pol is not looking for excuses: “ the factory riders coped better with these conditions than us. I made a lot of mistakes in this race, maybe I was too eager to succeed and maybe I should have had more patience. I had a lot of problems with the front brakes. ". The best can also be the enemy of the good. Pol Espargaro Currently sixth overall, two points behind fifth, and he is the first satellite driver, which is his team's goal.
