Aleix Espargarò was one of the great protagonists once again in the French MotoGP qualifying session, signing an excellent lap, so much so that the Aprilia RS-GP started from the front row for the third round in a row.
The native of Granollers seems to be able to make the most of the characteristics of the bike from Noale, which has grown exponentially over the last 2 seasons to the point of even winning his first race this year with the Catalan.
For some time now Aleix has been receiving questions related to his future, because his contract is about to expire and his latest performances have also brought him to the fore in the drivers’ market in view of the next seasons. The current situation suggests that Aprilia would make a serious mistake if it wanted to deprive itself of Aleix, but the renewal still does not arrive.
For this reason Espargarò has indicated for the first time a last useful date to choose and make known one’s future. Mugello, at most Barcelona. That is: at the end of May it will be clear where Aleix will race starting from 2023, be it Aprilia or elsewhere.
“I don’t know what to tell you, it’s not up to me. The situation makes me a little sad, but I won’t be here waiting forever. I haven’t thought about a real deadline, but I won’t be able to wait beyond Mugello or Barcelona. my future will clear up at that point. We have interesting things in hand. “
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“It’s not that I’m in a hurry, because time plays in my favor. In every race I’m stronger and I keep fighting for the championship. It’s more a question of respect. In Barcelona my future must be clear.”
Yet another first row of the season makes Aleix very happy, and for several reasons. Aprilia confirms itself as a very competitive and heterogeneous bike, capable of adapting to different tracks even if not too close to the technical and chassis preferences of the same just like Le Mans. Furthermore, Aleix will be able to start from the front and this is not an aspect to be underestimated. In this MotoGP, the position on the starting grid has become much more important than a few years ago.
“Consistency on Sunday is important if you want to fight for the championship, but at the same time you have to be fast and this shows on Saturday. Four front rows, three of which in a row, are very important for a driver because it means that you are fast.” .
“Also today it is very difficult to stay in front if you are not in front of the grid. There is a lot of play in the first three or four corners. But the rule is that if you don’t start in front, in 95% of cases it is almost impossible to recover. tire temperatures skyrocket, everyone runs and brakes late. “
Espargarò also tried to take a picture of tomorrow’s race, imagining himself in the top 4. Besides him – who has a good pace – the factory Ducati and Quartararo will be the favorites. He feels himself in the leading quartet, even if the weather variable could play a fundamental role in defining what the balance of power will be tomorrow.
“In terms of pace we are doing well, we are also quite in line with the Ducatis and Fabio Quartararo. I think we are the 4 strongest on the pace. We will have to decide well on the rear tire for the race and see what happens from a meteorological point of view. Let’s see tomorrow if there will be rain or not “.
“This track offers overtaking points, the problem is how the bikes react, getting closer to the one in front, because you run the risk of ending up on the ground. We see it at every race, braking 2 meters ahead you can fall and hit another rider” , concluded the Aprilia rider.
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