Let's talk MotoGP: Don't bury Pol Espargaró!

The Sprint was very eventful at the Red Bull Ring. However, an absolutely incredible performance should not be missed given the context; sixth place for Pol Espargaró! Having only returned to Silverstone, the Spaniard showed enormous courage. As crazy as it may seem, this breakthrough at the front of the peloton poses even more problems for KTM. Analysis.

 

The resilience of Pol Espargaró

 

When the checkered flag fell on the Q1 group, no one could imagine such a scenario. Certainly, Pol Espargaró had a good session, until he transformed into a potential client in Q2. If Luca Marini and Jack Miller did not let it happen, he still ranked ahead of Marc Márquez, Enea Bastianini, and, above all, his teammate Augusto Fernández. However, 13th position was transformed into 16th place following a penalty, suffered because he had hindered Marc Márquez during free practice. On a track as short as the Red Bull Ring, it's hard to expect much. Let's also remember that it is particularly risky to overtake here, and that the addition of the new chicane reduces the possibilities of overtaking in turn 3.

 

 

And yet. Well helped by the collision at the first corner, Pol Espargaró came back, and above all, stabilized very high in the ranking. He crossed the Sprint finish line in sixth position without being alone! In the exhausts of Jack Miller, certainly, but in front of his brother Aleix on the official Aprilia which we thought capable of competing with the KTM and Ducati in the race.

We must realize the mental feat that this represents. We often tend to forget him because he broke through young, but Pol Espargaró is already 32 years old. It was legitimate to think that an injury like the one he suffered in Portugal could end his career. After all, what more does he have to prove? He is a Moto2 world champion, who has achieved numerous podiums and poles; no victories, certainly, but he knew that would be impossible by joining GasGas Tech3. Also, he was coming out of a bad experience at Repsol Honda, and, barring a miracle, will never find factory handlebars again. But yet, he didn't give up. Partially disfigured, he retained this desire to run, to compete with the best on the planet, until he tickled them only two races after his return. It's extremely strong, exactly like Hervé Poncharal's words to him once he crossed the finish line.

 

 

One more problem

 

His heroic performance adds an unknown into the equation that KTM is forced to solve. Already, because he largely outclassed Augusto Fernández, who had a particularly difficult weekend, one of the worst this season. However, the 2 Moto2022 world champion affirms that he will be part of the Tech3 adventure in 2024, a completely deserved place.

Yes but there you go; we still have to accommodate Pedro Acosta who wants to join the premier category next year. As a result, we saw in Pol Espargaró a fairly obvious fuse; he is older, and above all, was not there. In motor sports more than elsewhere, those who are absent are always wrong. But his 12th place in the British Grand Prix and his Sprint in Austria are more than convincing arguments. If he continues this momentum and manages to regularly dominate his teammate, why couldn't he continue the adventure in MotoGP? In addition, we know that he maintains a special relationship with the Mattighofen firm. In short, it's a real headache.

 

 

Last item; we praised Augusto Fernández's season a lot until now. We find that he is an exemplary rookie, who works in the right direction, and who was able to achieve a real breakthrough at Le Mans. The absence of a teammate, for a beginner, is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, he had to acclimatize himself to his machine, without being able to rely on an experienced colleague like “Pollycio”. On the other hand, maybe GasGas is better than we think. If Pol manages to repeat it, at his age and given the delay accumulated in the season (ask Enea Bastianini), then it will raise questions about the level of Augusto Fernández, it is not offending to say this; we ourselves were for its renewal.

Whether we like them or not, we must recognize the Espargaró brothers' resilience, this ability to explode when no one expects it. What did you think of his Sprint, and, more broadly, of his weekend? Tell us in the comments!

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport