Aleix Espargaró: Aprilia technology went on strike at the start / MotoGP

According to his own statement, Aprilia works driver Aleix Espargaró drove the best race of the season on Sunday in Spielberg, but in the end he did not get past sixth place. What led to this?

With starting position 9, Aleix Espargaró did not have the best starting position for the Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday, because many Ducati pilots and among others world championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) were better placed. But before the start, the Spaniard failed to engage the start device on the Aprilia RS-GP, so he fell back immediately.

«I mightn’t engage the ‘start device’ on the fork. That already happened on Saturday, today in the race I was very upset regarding it. I lost a lot of ground without the system because the power and power transfer wasn’t right, Espargaró clarified. This hasn’t happened all season, but this weekend we had problems with it.”

In the race, the Aprilia star finished sixth, Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) took more than eleven seconds from him over 28 laps. World champion Fabio Quartararo also made it onto the podium, so both World Cup opponents made up significant points.

“I had the soft tires on, so I kept pushing to make up as many places as possible on the first laps. Overall, I didn’t have the pace of the fastest. I still drove the best race of the season, because by lap 15 I was close to Pecco and Fabio,” he reported confidently. “I did a lot of 1:29 laps and was over the limit in every corner. I didn’t make any mistakes, so I’m very proud of the race.”

The World Championship runner-up continued: «Unfortunately, I then completely destroyed the tyre, I was struggling with the tires spinning on the straights. As a result, I missed the train with Marini and Zarco. Pecco and Fabio ended up in the first two places, but I’m happy with my performance and the conditions. There was nothing else in it.”

MotoGP result, Spielberg, August 21st

1. Bagnaia, Ducati, 28 Runden in 42:14.886 min
2. Quartararo, Yamaha, + 0,492 sec
3. Miller, Ducati, +2,163
4. Marini, Ducati, +8,348
5. Zarco, Ducati, + 8.821
6. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, + 11.287
7. Brad Binder, KTM, + 11,642
8. Rins, Suzuki, +11,780
9. Bezzecchi, Ducati, + 16,987
10. Martin, Ducati, + 17,144
11. Di Giannantonio, Ducati, + 17.471
12. Oliveira, KTM, + 18,035
13. Viñales, Aprilia, + 20.012
14. Alex Marquez, Honda, +26,880
15. Dovizioso, Yamaha, +29,744
16. Pol Espargaro, Honda, +30,994
17. Bradl, Honda, +37,960
18. Fernández, KTM, + 42,082
19. Savadori, Aprilia, + 46,666
20. Gardner, KTM, +1 lap
– Morbidelli, Yamaha
– Darryn Binder, Yamaha
– Nakagami, Honda
– Bastianini, Ducati
– Mir, Suzuki

MotoGP Riders’ World Championship following 13 of 20 Grands Prix:

1. Quartararo 200 Punkte. 2. Aleix Espargaró 168. 3. Bagnaia 156. 4. Zarco 125. 5. Miller 123. 6. Bastianini 118. 7. Brad Binder 107. 8. Rins 92. 9. Martin 87. 10. Oliveira 85. 11. Viñales 85. 12. Mir 77. 13. Marini 69. 14. Bezzecchi 68. 15. Marc Márquez 60. 16. Nakagami 45. 17. Pol Espargaró 42. 18. Alex Márquez 29. 19. Morbidelli 26. 20. Di Giannantonio 23 21. Dovizioso 11. 22. Darryn Binder 10. 23. Gardner 9. 24. Raúl Fernández 5.

Constructors’ Championship:

1. Ducati 296 Punkte. 2. Yamaha 200. 3. Aprilia 185. 4. KTM 140. 5. Suzuki 118. 6. Honda 90.

Team World Cup:

1. Ducati Lenovo Team 279 Punkte. 2. Aprilia Racing 253. 3. Monster Energy Yamaha 226. 4. Prima Pramac Racing 212. 5. Red Bull KTM Factory 192. 6. Suzuki Ecstar 169. 7. Gresini Racing 141. 8. Mooney VR46 Racing 137. 9. Repsol Honda 102. 10. LCR Honda 74. 11. WithU Yamaha RNF 21. 12. Tech3 KTM Factory 14.

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