MotoGP | Espargaro: “I couldn’t get over it. I seized the moment”

Today is a very important day for Aprilia for the future, because it has officially lost the concessions for 2023. The great podium obtained today by Aleix Espargaro at the Spanish Grand Prix was staged at Angel Nieto in Jerez de la Frontera, the third of the season in just 6 races, he lost an advantage, but it is very sweet news, because it certifies the competitiveness of the RS-GP project and of a very concrete Aleix Espargaro.

The native driver of Granollers signed the third place, third podium of the season and second in a row. For him, most likely, this is the best moment of his career since he has been in MotoGP. The podium arrived today was captured wisely. Failing to overtake Jack Miller and Marc Marquez – equipped with a deeper braking due to the characteristics of their respective bikes – Aleix waited for the right moment, or rather a mistake on the part of both to overtake them and impose his pace, which turned out to be much better.

“I feel good, I am very happy,” said Espargaro at the end of the Jerez race. “Mentally it was a tough race because I was faster than Miller and Marquez, but I couldn’t get past them. They were winding up the straight and I couldn’t pass Marc. He is very good in braking and had good cornering speed. so I couldn’t. Today I just had to wait for their mistake. “

Tell us about the decisive maneuver that allowed you to hit the podium.
“I saw that Miller braked early and went in. Marquez lost the front at the same point and at that point I passed. My race changed completely at that point. It’s my moment, I pushed hard and I pulled them off immediately. We have speed, now we have to improve precisely in overtaking. Congratulations to Bagnaia and Ducati, but we are there too, we are second in the championship, less than 10 points behind the leader, I’m dreaming “.

Nice fight with Miller and Marquez, you must be proud to have beaten them today …
“Having Miller and Marquez as travel companions isn’t great! (He jokes, ed). I had more mileage than them, more grip, but they braked very late and I was very nervous because I couldn’t pass. I knew that if I tried I would be I ended up hitting Marquez. So I thought I’d wait, because I didn’t have the pace of the first 2. I was sure that in 40 minutes of the race Miller and Marquez would have made a couple of mistakes and I should have been ready. like this”.

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Do you think your pace would have been enough to play for the win today?
“I don’t know if my pace would have been enough to challenge me for the win. But I saw that in the last 5 laps my pace was very good. Low 1’38” is excellent. The bike was running very well. Too bad, but the races are like that. Now we need to improve the friction at the start, which is our real problem for now. “

What happened at the start with Marquez?
“At the beginning I touched with Marquez but it was my fault, because I started badly. I was in the front row, he in second. I can’t start well with the launch control and the clutch. Today we almost lose the podium for the race. start. Because then my pace on the open track was very good. Now the races are like this, we have to do everything well, do things perfect. We need to improve. I’m sorry what happened with Marquez, because we don’t have a bad relationship “.

Do you realize that thanks to these results you are making Aprilia history in racing?
“By now I am half Italian. I have the whole Italian team. Aprilia feel like my bike. It is wonderful what we are doing. We are just a few points behind the leader. I do not understand what we are doing, it is difficult to realize it, but we are doing it. very good”.