Aleix Espargaro’s Misano Misery: Aprilia’s Struggles Continue in San Marino GP

Aleix Espargaro faced a lack of competitiveness during a challenging weekend at the Misano MotoGP event.

Aprilia's struggles persisted throughout the San Marino GP.

Aleix Espargaro stated that he was consistently unable to compete throughout the MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix weekend, highlighting that all Aprilia riders faced challenges with their speed.

Following a disappointing performance at the Aragon Grand Prix, where the top-performing Aprilia, ridden by Espargaro, finished 10th, lagging 40 seconds behind the winner, hopes were elevated for the Misano race. The anticipation stemmed from the belief that the Italian circuit's higher grip levels would favor the RS-GP.

Only Maverick Vinales, riding for Aprilia, managed to advance to Q2, where he ultimately secured the 11th position. However, the brand failed to earn any points during the sprint race.

In the grand prix, the top performer for Trackhouse Racing was Miguel Oliveira, finishing in 11th place, trailing the leader by 46 seconds.

During the short spell of rain at the grand prix, team-mates from the factory, Espargaro and Vinales, both made pit stops. Espargaro, who had qualified in 13th place, ultimately did not finish the race.

"Espargaro described the past two weekends as highly disappointing."

"I'm somewhat disheartened, as aside from the outcome of [the grand prix], we made a strategic bet by opting for rain tyres during my pit stop, which unfortunately didn't pay off.

"However, this is a possibility. Besides, throughout the weekend, I never felt the urge to compete."

"I didn't perform well in the wet conditions at Aragon, both on Saturday and Sunday. Lately, we've been lacking something in the past few races, which has been quite disappointing. However, that's just the way things are. It's not simple."

Vinales explained that his choice to enter the pit stop stemmed from the uncomfortable sensation he experienced with his medium tyres during the rain, emphasizing the traction problems Aprilia faced in Aragon.

"Vinales, who ended up finishing 16th a lap behind, mentioned, “I began the race on a medium rear tyre and it took several more laps for the tyre to reach the ideal temperature."

"However, the rain began to fall, leaving me feeling quite terrible while cycling."

"Observing the increasing rainfall, I made the call to head into the pit, guided by my instincts."

"Right after heading out and completing a single lap, I had to come back in to switch to slick tyres. Honestly, I found a solid pace after that, but we gave it our best shot."

Discover More

Sign up for our MotoGP Bulletin

Receive the freshest updates, behind-the-scenes content, discussions, and special offers straight from the track to your email.

For additional details, refer to our Privacy Policy.

Recent Updates

Additional Updates

Website Navigation

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is not allowed to fully or partially copy or replicate the text, images, or drawings in any manner.