Aleix Espargaro: “Brave choice, frustrating to see Ducatis overtake” | Bastianini “reminds me of Pedrosa”

Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro claimed his second-best Sunday finish of the season with sixth place, and top non-Ducati, in the British Grand Prix.

But having started from pole, finished third in the Silverstone Sprint and held the same position early in the main race, Espargaro was frustrated to then be overtaken by three Desmosedicis.

“I think we did a solid job during the weekend, we did a lap record yesterday, lap record today, but in terms of management of the rear tyre, there's nothing I could do,” said Espargaro, riding in a Max Biaggi replica livery for MotoGP's 75th anniversary.

“It was very frustrating to see one and another and another Ducati overtake me, and going away. I tried my best with the electronics, trying up and down with the engine brake, with the TC [traction control], but nothing more I could do.”

While Espargaro had joined the rest of the field in running the medium rear tyre, he was one of only two riders to risk the hard front in the cool temperatures.

The other, Trackhouse Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez, lost the front and crashed on the opening lap, wiping out team-mate Miguel Oliveira in the process.

But while a “brave” choice, Espargaro emphasised that the hard front had saved his race and that rear degradation was the cause of his frustration.

“The hard front was the solution [not the problem], actually,” he said. “With these spots of rain, less than 30 degrees, to put the hard front, I've been very brave, and it paid off. I recovered a lot of time on the brakes.

“We know it was the right decision and luckily we took it, because there was a moment on the grid where I was very afraid. But the problem is the rear. There is nothing we can do against them, it's very frustrating.”

“I felt that I was riding in really good during the weekend, no mistakes, really close to the limit all weekend, and going home with a sixth place is quite frustrating,” he added,

“But there are some types of days where more is impossible and today is this day [even if] the difference to the other Aprilias all weekend, the KTM, Yamaha and Honda is huge.”

Espargaro finished just almost 7s clear of top KTM rider Pedro Acosta (ninth), over 14s from the lead Yamaha of Fabio Quartararo (11th) and 16.5s from the fastest Honda of Johann Zarco (14th).

One technical positive was that the new Aprilia aero upgrade, introduced at Silverstone, appears to make the bike less physical to ride.

“Silverstone is not really demanding, but yesterday talking with Jorge and Enea after the podium, they were tired and I wasn't. And today I'm like before the race. So it means that something helps,” he said.

Bastianini “reminds me of Pedrosa, one of the title favourites”

Quizzed on how double Silverstone winner Enea Bastianini saves more rear tyre than the other Ducati riders, Espargaro replied:

“He's really smooth. He reminds me of Dani [Pedrosa] when he [Bastianini] is on his best days: Slowing and accelerating really, really smoothly and taking care of the rear tyre.

“[Bastianini] needs to understand what's different on these types of days. And if he's able to understand this, he will be clearly the man to beat. He will be one of the favourites for the title.

“Because this weekend, the feeling - looking from outside - is that it was very easy for him.”

Bastianini has now passed Marc Marquez for third in the world championship, sitting 49 points behind Pramac Ducati title leader Jorge Martin and 46 from reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia.