Complicated sprint for the Aprilias
Come on day twice for the Aprilia in Motegi. In Qualifying, Maverick Vinales grabbed the front row after Marc Marquez’s lap was cancelled. In the Sprint, however, the future KTM rider was unable to release the lowering device, losing ground in the first hundred metres. Fall for Aleix Espargarò, who was trying to move up from the back. Below are their words and those of technical manager Romano Albesiano, who will join Honda in 2025.
Maverick Viñales: “At the start of the race I didn’t release the front lowerer and I lost several positions. Sunday will be another race, but I continue to be positive. In qualifying I managed to work magic, so I hope to be able to do the same in the long race too“.
Aleix Espargarò: “I improved a little in the sprint, I tried a different set-up, very similar to that of Maverick. It worked well and I was comfortable, in fact I was catching up. But then the temperature and pressure of the front tire rose a lot. At that point it was very difficult to ride the bike, the front locked and I crashed at turn 1“.
Roman Albesian: “Maverick’s third position in qualifying was a result that gave us confidence. It’s a shame about the start and the initial melee, because Maverick had the potential to get a good result in the sprint. Aleix made a leap forward in terms of performance in the sprint, managing to recover several positions and getting closer to the group where Maverick also found himself. It’s a shame about the crash with just two laps to go. In the long race we will have a new opportunity to demonstrate our potential“.
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