The accident remedied in free practice 4 at Silverstone forced Aleix Espargarò to compete in qualifying and race in precarious conditions, due to what turned out to be – in the following days – a fractured heel. The Spaniard gritted his teeth and finished in ninth place under the checkered flag, just behind Quartararo, without losing too many points in the standings against his rival, now 22 points away. Espargarò therefore arrived in Austria not in perfect physical condition, moreover on a track that has never smiled at him in his career. The Aprilia rider’s roadmap at the Red Bull Ring is not the best: retired in 2016, 13th in 2017, 17th in 2018, 14th in 2019, 11th and 12th in 2020, retired and 10th in 2021 Below are the statements made by Aleix Espargarò during the usual press conference to present the Thursday event.
New chicane. “It looks pretty good, they did a great job. The left side seems a bit narrow to me, but in terms of safety it is better than the previous one. The bike should do well. “
Physical conditions. “In the last ten days I made a good recovery, I had some small difficulties but now it’s ok. Too bad for the problems I had at Assen and Silverstone, because I could have gone to the podium and it didn’t go well. I hope I can do it again. Compared to last year, the bike has improved aerodynamics and engine, so we’ll see how it goes. “
Conclusion of concessions. “I have no worries about the 2023 engine. Reaching the level of the other teams has been a long journey, but now Aprilia is part of the group of the best in the world. The concessions obviously helped us, but I really believe in the people of Noale. Today, for example, we had an hour of meeting to understand the innovations on Savadori’s bike. All working and constantly producing new pieces. “
Possibility wet race. “I don’t like running on water. But a couple of races are always in the wet. And in general I think the wet performance of the bike is better than mine. “
Friendship with Quartararo. “Fabio is a good guy. The press does not seem to understand how it is possible to fight on the track, but also to be good friends. Friendship is something else. We respect each other, but we all want to win. Fabio often visits me at home. But what happens on the track stays on track. “
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