Aleix Espargaró had a complicated Saturday at the Grand Prix of San Marino and Riviera di Rimini. Not only did he fail to qualify for Q2, but he also remained without points at the end of the Sprint. A poor performance that reflects the difficulties encountered by Aprilia on a circuit where traction plays a crucial role, a priori a favorable terrain for the brand.
When for his Sprint, neither Aleix Espargaró nor his teammate Maverick Vinales could not compete with the Ducati, KTM, or even the Fabio Quartararo's Yamaha. Espargaró shared his impressions after the race: “ Yes, we have a lot of traction and chatter issues. This is no excuse, but Ducatis literally fly.. I have done several tours in 1'31, a really fast pace here, but Jorge Martín and Pecco Bagnaia are constantly in these times, which is appalling »
But'Aprilia also has its problems: " We also suffered a lot from the heat, In the last part of the sprint I reached my physical limits, and this is something we have to improve for the next races ". And especially when it will be necessary to face the tropical torpor... Moreover the Spaniard specifies: " Aprilia heats too much, new fairing is worse than old one ».
Aleix Espargaró: “ Ducati play in another league »
The Spaniard stressed that the dominance of Ducati is not only due to the quality of the bike, but also to the number of bikes on the track, allowing collective progress: "When there is a bike as fast as the Ducati and that there are just as many, it's very difficult. Even with a good race, you can finish eighth. They feed on each other, they continue to progress throughout the season, and it shows on the track »
In addition to the domination of Ducati, Aleix Espargaró noticed that even KTM was in front: " The KTMs were fifth, sixth and seventh, but looking at the pace, they were not faster than me. They lost time compared to me, but I failed in qualifying, which allowed them to be in front »
To I will espargaro, the major error lies in his failed start, a key element in Misano : " You can't easily overtake here. I started badly, and that's where I lost all my chances. But in terms of competitiveness, the KTMs are not better than me. On the other hand, the Ducati, it plays in another league. »
Aleix Espargaró hopes to rectify the situation for the main race, but recognizes that the challenge will be huge given the domination of the Ducati.
MotoGP Misano: Qualifying
MotoGP Misano: Sprint
