After his victory last week in Argentina, Aleix Espargaró was somewhat disillusioned during the first day of driving on the Austin circuit, where he could not do better than 11th. The Aprilia rider is still pleased with the much better behavior of his machine on the Texan circuit than last year, where the GP of the Americas was a real ordeal for him.
We transcribe here the entirety of his remarks made to journalists on Friday.
Aleix, you seemed to have had a good first day, being fairly consistent even if you still lack a bit of top speed to really be at the front.
« I am satisfied. Of course after winning in Argentina I can't say that I'm happy to be 11th straight away, but I've progressed well because last year here I finished all the sessions in 20th place and I had fallen enormously. But there I felt very strong, very fast from the start. It's true that I wasn't fast enough with the soft tire at the front, for the simple reason that I absolutely didn't have a good feeling with it. But with the medium tire it was a different story. I was able to do a series of laps in the high window of 2'03, which is a good result, one of the best among those who used the medium tire in any case. Tomorrow morning we will simply try to be a little faster with the soft tire. But overall it was a very good Friday, because overall the Aprilia is performing much better than last year here. »
What is stopping you at the moment from being really faster?
« The problem here is that I suffer from chattering, especially when I put the soft tire on the rear. In the fast corners it was therefore very difficult to turn well. The soft tire allowed me to gain grip when accelerating, but cornering speed decreased due to chattering. »
In what area does your current bike perform better than last October on this track?
« In all areas ! That's a whole different story. But I don't think you can compare the two. I am faster, the bike is very different from its predecessor, we have new tarmac, and therefore it is very difficult to make comparisons. I remember that last year I struggled to ride in 2'06, I fell all the time and I only had to manage one lap under 2'05. But this year I was able to fit the medium tire at the rear, which allowed me to do a lot of laps in the high window of 2'03. I was also able to set a good pace without making the slightest mistake. I am very happy with this. This track is not really favorable either to my bike or to me. There are a lot of corners in first gear where you have to completely slow the bike down, and I'm not good at handling those types of sequences, just like fast changes of direction where I hardly excel. But for all these reasons, I am very happy to have displayed this level of competitiveness during this first day in the United States. »
Do you have any idea of the level of competitiveness you will have on Sunday?
« I'm pretty sure I can fight for the top 6, which on one of the least favorable tracks for Aprilia would be a very good result. It would be fantastic to finish in the top 6. For that I am really very focused, I really want to analyze all the things that can allow me to progress. I'd also like to look at Maverick's data, because he was two tenths faster than me today. I will do everything to progress and be able to score as many points as possible on Sunday. »
Did the wind bother you? And what about bumps?
« The wind wasn't a big problem, but I think it picked up a little after we finished riding. I must say that I didn't feel it much. But it should strengthen tomorrow and even more on Sunday, where it's borderline scary. As for the bumps, the track is definitely in better condition than last year, but the fact is that when you have new tarmac it doesn't have to be better, it has to be perfect. There should be no rough edges, but there isn't. I'm certainly happy because we're doing really better than last year, but ultimately there are still a lot of bumps. I know it's a difficult track, with lots of climbs, descents, left then right turns. I suppose it is therefore more difficult to achieve tarmac of the quality of that of Misano for example. So they still did a good job. It's OK for 2022, but we will have to do better in the future on this circuit. »
How does it feel to now have a teammate who is faster than you, at least today if we rely on the times?
« In recent years it’s true that I got used to being the strongest at Aprilia. I always made sure to stay close to my teammate, because I think that when you are in a championship it is always better for the two drivers of the team to stick together, if only to ensure the good development of the bike. I now have a good teammate, who is fast, and we have a good relationship: we talk a lot together, and that's a good thing. I have certainly established myself in Argentina but believe me: I remain very humble. I know for a fact that he is going to be very fast here, and therefore I look at his data a lot, and I will even ask him for some advice if I need it. We are only in the fourth race, and we are happy with the position that Aprilia occupies at the moment. We're a good team, and I think Austin is one of Maverick's favorite tracks, while it's one of the worst for me. So I will try to rely on him as much as possible in order to have a good race. »
