RiderTua.com – Aleix Espargaro started the new season by climbing the podium in the sprint race at Qatar’s Lusail circuit. After 11 laps, the Aprilia spearhead crossed the finish line in 3rd position only 0.7 seconds behind winner Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati). Despite facing a fierce battle at the start of the race, this 34 year old rider had a very successful first sprint race of the 2024 season.
Marc Marquez also overtook Aleix on the straight track. So Aprilia knows where they need to improve the bike. Aleix found it difficult to overtake racers like Pecco and Marc during the braking phase. But I’m happy, I did it. I had a really good pace in the second half of the race, so I’m happy!” said Aleix.
Aleix Espargaro : Fighting Against Rockets
For the main race on Sunday, Aleix Espargaro said, ” I am very confident for the race on Sunday, because in the second 5 laps I had less difficulty than at the start of the race. In the first half all the riders used their power and torque, so we couldn’t overtake them.”
“We had difficulty transferring power to the track. But I was able to maintain my acceleration, while the others lost here. To be honest, at the beginning I had problems with the tires. I didn’t have any more power. In the end it was good. In the last 3 laps I felt much better stronger than other racers,” said the rider from Spain who lives in Andorra.
Regarding the clutch problems he experienced in 2023 and the possibility of early defeat, Aleix said, “I didn’t lose much time. Even though I couldn’t ride with Jorge, I lost to Brad (Binder) and Enea (Bastianini). But the KTM bike was amazing “The bike is like a rocket. But we have also improved, although it’s not enough.”
According to Aleix, this is only the first race. The other drivers are very talented and very fast. “At the moment I am racing at a very high level. When I analyze the data regarding corner approaches and braking zones, I see that I am racing very well. But the bike is not a real revolution, Raul (Fernandez) showed that the difference is not big,” explained Pol Espargaro’s older brother (KTM test rider).
Regarding the advantages of the Aprilia RS-GP 2024, Aleix said, “The advantage of this motorbike is when it comes to corners. The motorbike is like a Formula 1 car, it’s hard to believe! It’s crazy to ride this motorbike, especially at corners 12, 13, 14 and 15. The speed is truly extraordinary that we can show here. The weak point is the engine, but we still have time.”
Aleix doesn’t know whether this condition is the actual motor power balance. We’ve tested a lot of things here. But Brad and I have clearly shown that we will fight like lions to improve our bike and fight Ducati. Today is pretty close. “We almost beat them,” concluded Aleix Espargaro with a smile.
