Aleix Espargaró said he didn’t like what he saw on the track during the sprint race, but he said he didn’t want to express a strong opinion, preferring to give this new format some time . However, he hopes that aggressiveness does not take precedence over performance.
57m
When the checkered flag fell on the first course sprint organized by MotoGP, everyone was on the lookout for the first opinions. When we witnessed as spectators an ultra-competitive event that kept us in suspense for 20 minutes, but which also created incessant tension during these 12 laps, we can wonder regarding the way in which the actors of this race of a new kind were able to experience it.
Some have expressed their assent, judging the novelty to be up to the desired spectacle. Others, like Fabio Quartararovery directly sounded the alarm bell as soon as the curtain fell, pointing the finger at a format that was too risky given the degree of aggressiveness it required.
READ ALSO – Alarmist Quartararo following the sprint race: “It’s a jungle”
The word ofAleix Espargaró was logically eagerly awaited, as the Spanish driver knows how to be direct and raise any questions related to safety. But on Saturday evening, he wanted to postpone the debate. On several occasions, he asked journalists not to throw him on this subject, preferring to allow himself a little time before passing judgment, although he indicated that he did not appreciate what he saw on the track.
“I don’t want to talk regarding the sprint race today. I want to talk regarding the next round. It’s better for everyone to take a breather,” Aleix Espargaró first replied to journalists who questioned him less than an hour following the finish. “You’ve seen the sprint race. We’ll see what happens in the future, how many crashes there will be, we’ll see all that and we’ll have to analyze that. It’s better that I don’t talk too much regarding it .”
“I finished sixth, I scored four points. You all saw what happened and you can analyze it. I’m a driver, it’s your job to say if it’s good or not , you are the journalists.”
“I’m not very happy with what I saw on the track. I hope everyone liked it, that’s what the Dorna tries to do. I’m happy if everyone liked it from home , but…”, he added. “I’ll talk, but let’s wait and see the first races, let’s see if the dynamics change or not, let’s give some time. But I didn’t like what I saw on the track today. If people have liked it from home, so much the better, it’s a show. But as a pilot, I didn’t really like it.”
Asked regarding the perceived aggressiveness on track, Espargaró agreed that it was strong. “I just hope this sport doesn’t turn into boxing, because that’s not it,” he slipped. A statement that can be understood as a criticism, but he added: “I didn’t say that I didn’t like the new format. You have to give it time, understand it, see if the intensity and the tension of the pilots decrease a bit. I say that if people liked the today’s race is good, but I don’t like that there are so many contacts and accidents. But I’m not saying that the format is bad, I like the race.”
“When I say boxing, I mean I hope it’s a sport where the fastest driver wins, not the most aggressive. It seemed to me that with the sprint race of today we were faced with a very high level of tension and aggression.It is also true that it is the first race of the year, there is always a lot of tension in the first race every season. And this year, with a new format and a lot of wind… I don’t want a headline to say that I spat on the sprint races because that’s not the case. Saturday to see if we adapt and if the aggressiveness that we saw today decreases.”
Aleix Espargaró started 12th and took sixth place
Aleix Espargaró finished sixth in this first race, following failed qualifying which earned him 12th position on the grid, and he was pleased with his final score. But he also described an ordeal that was definitely stressful. “There was a lot of tension. In front of me I saw five falls, it was crazy. Álex Márquez hit Maverick [Viñales]. I almost touched parts of Bastianini’s motorcycle. Everyone was on the limit, it was crazy. I mightn’t see my dashboard with my lap times, you mightn’t see the panels. If you make a mistake, everyone passes you, and if the guy in front of you makes a mistake, you have to pass him. The tension is very high, that’s why I say maybe we have to get used to it a bit, I don’t know.”
This first weekend in this format also ruled out two injured drivers, starting with Pol Espargaro who was the victim of a serious accident on Friday at the end of the tests involving the direct qualification for Q2. Saturday followingnoon is Aeneas Bastianini who injured his shoulder while being involuntarily knocked down by Luca Marini at the start of the race.
READ ALSO – Poncharal assures that Pol Espargaró is remettra
“Today Enea, yesterday Pol and a lot of falls… Don’t think that all these falls are due to the fact that we are in Portimão, they are due to the new format. On Friday followingnoon, you have to fight to pass in Q2 and we are not ready because it is still only Friday. There are crashes, red flags… We have to give time to the new format”, Aleix insisted.
Fabio Quartararo said he felt helpless on Saturday evening, believing that the word of the pilots was not heard. At this remark, the Spaniard reminded everyone of their responsibilities: “My favorite movie is Gladiator: do you think gladiators liked being there? I don’t think so. And yet I love gladiators! Maybe we’ll have to reduce the length, that we do something, but in the end I might stay home if I wanted to.”
