MotoGP, Espargaro: "Something needs to be done about the tires. I had no grip in Qatar."

"It happens at least a couple of times a year, and not only to me. My goal for Portimão? To start up front. Here, in 2023, we demonstrated we were strong. The key to improving? Mutual understanding with your technicians."

Submitted by Chiara Rainis on Fri, 22/03/2024 - 00:08

Aprilia

motogp

Eighth at the checkered flag in Losail, Aleix Espargaro approaches the second round of the season in Portimão with no specific goals.

"In Qatar, I had a lot of fun," he admitted. "I'm happy and proud of what we did, especially in qualifying. A very important stage this year. We proved that we can fight for the pole position. I couldn't do a great deal in the race. But, overall, I'm satisfied with the sensations I felt on the bike."

Looking at last year's performance on the Portuguese track, optimism is in order. "Viñales got on the podium in 2023, and I had the circuit record. However, I wasn't able to do much in the race, having started far back due to a slip up in qualifying," he recalled.

Despite a good response during the winter tests, the opening round of the championship in Losail didn't live up to expectations. "Going to the grid, I realized that there was no grip. It felt like riding on ice. The rear especially had no grip. In the end, I was happy because, by keeping a slow pace, I finished in the top ten, which was the best I could do. We need to improve with the tires because, a couple of times a season, episodes like this happen," his warning to Michelin. "Was it caused by the interruption of the starting procedure? No, the tire temperature remained constant. We checked it."

When asked about the Safety Commission meeting held this Thursday, the rider from Spain cut it short. "I was busy in a technical meeting, so I couldn't go. I know that only a curb was discussed, so nothing important. Will there be wind in the next few days? This is a treacherous track and will be even more so, but I'm not worried."

In conclusion, when questioned about the ideal recipe for developing a bike to its best and getting results, the rider from Granollers didn't hesitate. "The connection between rider and technical team is crucial. You have to know how to take responsibility if you're slow, without blaming the vehicle you're riding. Otherwise, they might not believe you in case of real problems.When I tell Romano that the bike vibrates, he doesn't even check the telemetry. He trusts my feedback, also because I've been here a long time."