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Third at the finish line of the Qatar Sprint Race, Aleix Espargaro didn’t hide a certain satisfaction with the third place he obtained in the first round of the season.
“I’m really happy, and I definitely enjoyed it,” he said. “We clearly saw the strengths and weaknesses of the bike, and the T4 was really spectacular to tackle. I lost some time in overtaking, but that’s the way mini-races are. I was faster in the last three laps, while I couldn’t get all the power available at the beginning, despite having new tires. I’d like to say that I saved them, but that’s not the case. The others were simply more competitive. When they started to slow down, the pace stayed the same, but the balance changed.”
Optimism for the GP is a must. “I’m not worried about the distance. We have a lot of grip compared to our rivals. I think there are better cards to play than today,” he commented. “We know we have to work on speed on the straight. This Saturday, overtaking Bagnaia and Marquez was tough. On the contrary, at turns twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen, I felt like I was on an F1. That said, when the races are so short, you don’t think about who you’re battling. My goal was just to get on the podium, and I did it.”
His plan for the long Grand Prix is clear, as is it for the rest of the championship. “I feel very strong. Aprilia did a great job, so we’ll try to stay close to the Ducati and the KTMs. Everyone enjoys good aerodynamics. We do, in particular. However, we have a high load in corners but too much drag on the straight. This is something we need to improve. For Sunday’s race, I’m confident, because I suffered more in the first five laps today than in the final ones. When everyone can use engine and torque, there’s not much we can do. But, with the grip dropping, we’re able to keep up and accelerate. That’s why I’m convinced the second part will smile down on us.”
With the best result among the Aprilia riders, Aleix kept a low profile. “We’re still at the first race. The other three riders are talented. My feeling is that I’m riding at a high level, from the way I approach the corners and brake. Comparing the old telemetry, I've improved, and I’m happy. The RS-GP 24 isn’t that different from the old version. At the start, I couldn’t keep up with Martin and Bastianini, and Brinder overtook me. The clutch of the KTM is a missile. Ours is improving, but not enough,” he reflected.
He then dwelled on the presence of three different constructors in the top three, and commented: “Nice, even if I don’t know if it’s real, since we’ve tested a lot here. But, with Binder, we’ve shown that we’re ready to fight like lions for a first place. Today, we came close to beating Ducati.”
Finally, on rookie Acosta’s eighth place, he said: “He has a lot to learn, and this takes time. In any case, he’s one of the most talented riders in the category. That said, the MotoGp is another world. Bikes are as complex as robots.”
