Ducati Dominance: Aleix Espargaro Marvels at Unmatched Grip and Speed in MotoGP

Aleix Espargaro expressed awe, stating, "The performance of the Ducatis is remarkable." He added, "Their ability to maximize grip from the tires is astonishing."

Similar to his Aprilia teammate Maverick Vinales, Aleix Espargaro believes that Ducati has set itself apart as a dominant force in MotoGP competitions.

Following the Motegi Grand Prix, Vinales expressed that everyone in the paddock is questioning how Ducati manages to maintain such high speeds in any type of condition.

On Sunday at the Japanese Grand Prix, Espargaro secured a ninth-place finish, making him the second-fastest rider not on a Ducati, trailing race winner Francesco Bagnaia by 30 seconds.

Pedro Acosta, who secured pole position for KTM, was in the running until he crashed in both races. Meanwhile, Vinales managed to secure a spot on the front row during qualifying.

Espargaro firmly believes that Ducati has advanced significantly.

Vinales and Espargaro secured initial wins in the season for Aprilia, but Ducati has maintained an unbroken winning streak over the last 20 competitions, including both Sprints and Grands Prix.

In Japan, the Bologna factory team dominated by taking the first seven places in the Saturday Sprint and securing the top five positions in the grand prix.

"The difference in distance to the winner is astounding," Espargaro remarked.

"Our traction was completely lacking. The contrast in grip levels is astounding. When the Ducatis passed me, I had no way to respond; I was slipping and my wheels were spinning throughout."

He expressed his desire for an explanation, saying, "Honestly, I don't have one." He continued, "For the past three races, during our technical discussions with Romano Albesiano, the technical director at Aprilia, this has been our main topic of conversation."

Espargaro believes that Ducati's strong performance is due to their grasp of a particular aspect of the updated 2024 Michelin rear tire that other manufacturers have yet to figure out.

"The way they're getting traction from the tires at the back is incredible," he commented.

"This is the reason they're breaking lap records and improving overall race times by over 10 to 12 seconds, and we can't keep up. There's nothing I can do about it."

"Maverick performed exceptionally well during the qualifying lap. However, it's evident from both yesterday and today that no one from Aprilia demonstrated strong pace during the race."

He mentioned, "KTM performed slightly better in this instance. I believe this is partly due to the KTM bike's strong performance during intense braking."

"Regardless, the performance of the Ducatis is incredible. Just yesterday, the top seven positions were all held by Ducatis. It's astonishing."

With just four races remaining, only the group of Ducati riders—Jorge Martin, Francesco Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini, and Marc Marquez—still retain a mathematical possibility of clinching the 2024 MotoGP championship.

Brad Binder ranks as the top KTM rider, trailing 209 points behind Bagnaia. He is followed by newcomer Acosta and the leading Aprilia racer, Vinales, who is 229 points behind.

After retiring at the end of this season, Espargaro will transition to a test rider role for HRC. He is presently in a tie for the eleventh position, trailing the leader by 258 points.

Explore Further

Sign Up for Our MotoGP Updates

Receive the newest updates, special insights, interviews, and exclusive offers from the MotoGP paddock right in your email.

To learn more, please review our Privacy Policy.

Breaking News

Additional Updates

Site Map

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is prohibited to reproduce, either fully or partially, any text, images, or graphics in any manner.