The emotional roller coaster of Pol Espargaro at the Qatar GP.
About Mireia Brito Simó / Motosan.es
The GASGAS pilot Pol Espargaro shared his thoughts on his experience at the Qatar Grand Prix. During the conversation, he touched on various aspects of his performance on track, to the frustration of not making it to Q2, to the difficulties he encountered with his bike's dashboard during qualifying. Consequently, according to our collaborator Manuel Pecino, Espargaró's words reveal a day full of ups and downs, from anger at not having lived up to his expectations to successfully overcoming certain obstacles, like the track record achieved by Maverick under the yellow flag.
In FP1, there was a controversy between Marco Bezzecchi and Pol Espargaró, the Italian driver hitting him six times on the rear wheel (to show his displeasure following a risky maneuver)…
“I will not make any comment on this matter. If you ask me the question several times, I will answer you the same thing. This is what we call maturity, you have to know how to bite your tongue. So I'm not going to create controversy. Nothing happened between us. Everything is fine. »
The full thing as to why Bez gave @polespargaro a few little nudges 👇#QatarGP 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/p70WVKXL4v
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) November 17, 2023
“I couldn’t see anything and I didn’t know how fast I was going”
After this mishap, Pol spoiled Maverick's track record because of the yellow flags from his fall...
“Too bad for the record. Yes, but I also got fooled. Not moving into Q2 at the very last moment when I knew it was done. I'm a little angry today, to be honest, because I had the speed. I had everything to go to Q2, I was almost there but I had a problem with the dashboard. In the last run, I started flashing every possible light on the dashboard. I no longer saw the partials, I no longer saw the revs, I no longer saw anything at all and I no longer knew how fast I was going. »
Pol Espargaró explained when the engine speed indication can be useful…
“On the straight, when shifting gears, you're trying to go as fast as possible and you need the lights to be precise. Then there are different points on the circuit for braking. I look at the dashboard lights a little. There you arrive with the lights flashing because the revs are at the limit. There are several places where the revs help you, so if you lose the dash reference, you go by ear and just on the straight, on the fast lap, I hit the limit two or three times and it’s a few thousandths of a second less, so very bad.”
Comments from Pol Espargaro on the Qatar Grand Prix reveal the complexity and unforeseen challenges that riders face in the world of motorcycling. Despite the frustration, Espargaró showed maturity by avoiding controversy and focusing on his own development as a driver. The event highlights not only speeds and records, but also the resilience of a competitor who, despite setbacks, continues to move forward with determination. These thoughts offer valuable insight into the competitive world of motorcycle racing and the mindset needed to excel in this demanding discipline.
Read the original article on Motosan.es
Mireia Brito Simó
Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix Practice Results at Losail:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
