Frustration Mounts for Aprilia as Espargaro Struggles in Disappointing Misano MotoGP

Aleix Espargaro found himself "uncompetitive" in a "disappointing" Misano MotoGP race

April's struggles persisted at the San Marino Grand Prix

Aleix Espargaro mentioned that he did not feel competitive at any point during the MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix weekend, noting that all Aprilia riders faced difficulties with their speed.

Following a disappointing performance at the Aragon Grand Prix, where Espargaro's 10th place finish was the highest for Aprilia, trailing 40 seconds behind the winner, there was optimism heading into Misano. It was believed that the better grip provided by the Italian track's surface would be advantageous for the RS-GP.

Only Maverick Vinales from Aprilia advanced to Q2 and managed to secure the 11th spot in qualifying, with the team failing to earn any points in the sprint race.

During the grand prix, Miguel Oliveira was Trackhouse Racing's top performer, finishing in 11th place, albeit 46 seconds behind the leader.

Both Espargaro and Vinales, who are on the same factory team, made pit stops during the short rain spell in the grand prix. Espargaro, who had started in 13th place, ended up retiring from the race.

“It’s been two weekends that didn’t meet expectations,” Espargaro commented.

"I'm feeling somewhat disappointed. Besides the outcome of the grand prix, we took a risk by switching to rain tires, but it didn't pay off."

“However, such incidents are possible. Besides that, I wasn't in contention throughout the weekend.

"I struggled to be competitive after the rain in Aragon on both Saturday and Sunday. In the past few rounds, we've been lacking something, and it has been frustrating. But that's just the way it is. It's not easy."

Vinales explained that his choice to make a pit stop stemmed from the lack of confidence he felt with his medium tires in the rain, which underscored the grip problems Aprilia faced in Aragon.

Vinales, who ended up in 16th place and a lap down, mentioned that he began the race using a medium rear tire, which required additional laps to reach optimal temperature.

"However, it began to rain, and I felt very uncomfortable while riding the bike."

"Noticing the increasing rainfall, I chose to make a pit stop based on my intuition."

"Right after I completed a single lap, I had to return and switch to dry tires. Honestly, I found a good rhythm after that, but we gave it our best shot."

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