MotoGP, Qatar J1, Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia/2) starts with Pedro Acosta: "it looked like he was going to tear the stickers off my bike in this straight"

Aleix Espargaró stood out as one of the leading figures during the testing sessions in Qatar, confirming expectations by positioning himself just behind last year's MotoGP world runner-up.

At the start of FP1, the official Aprilia seemed behind, far from the top ten, but as the times improved, the Spaniard moved up a gear. However, he found himself in the straight line just in front Peter Acosta, coming close to contact while diving into the first corner, in a scene reminiscent of the incident between Fabio DiGiannantonio et Francis Bagnaia from the previous season. Sucked in by the wake ofAcosta, Aleix Espargaró narrowly avoided a collision.

« It took me by surprise. It looked like he was going to rip the stickers off my bike on that straight », commented the teammate of Maverick Vinales, visibly shaken by the incident. “ Without a clean airflow, I struggled to control my bike. It's clear, we have identified our weak points to improve ».

First lap of @37_pedroacosta in an official #MotoGP weekend…

Already overtaking riders into Turn 1 😅#QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/JiuwFga3fs

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) March 8, 2024

**Aleix Espargaró: “ we were efficient »**

Happy with his performance on the dry track before the unexpected rain interrupted the evening, Aleix Espargaró shared his enthusiasm for the work accomplished. “ The first session went rather well, with satisfactory times. We were efficient » he mentioned. “ In the afternoon it was more of a track cleaning affair. Between the rain and the lighting, there wasn't much to take from this session ».

He expressed strong hope for good conditions for qualifying and the race, noting the strangeness of the situation. With the dry weather trickling down and a tight schedule for Saturday, since the last session will determine qualifying for Q2, the 2024 RS-GP driver underlined the importance of good preparation: “ the first dry session was crucial. Despite the heat, I felt more comfortable than during the tests. I hope we continue this momentum on Saturday, because the third session will be decisive to progress to Q2 ».

Qatar GP FP2 MotoGP Results