A good top-10 placement for Aleix Espargaró after a demanding race in Jerez

The more than 40°C on the Spanish asphalt had a heavy impact on performance during the Spain GP, a fact that is clear from the numerous crashes despite a less than blinding pace. In these difficult conditions, Aleix Espargaró exploited his experience, riding the number 41 Aprilia RS-GP to a ninth place finish and earning important championship points.

The Spanish rider tackled the early part of the race cautiously, not pushing too hard and aiming for consistent performance. It was a strategy that paid off: twelfth place on the starting grid and fourteenth on the first lap, Aleix maintained nerves of steel and, thanks in part to a few crashes, he earned a well-deserved top-10 finish.

Thanks to the placement today, Aprilia moves up a position in the manufacturer standings, now lying in fourth place.

Aleix Espargaró:

“The race today was one of the most difficult ones of my career. The conditions were truly difficult. It was very easy to crash. After a few laps I even reduced my lean angle. The sliders on my leathers are almost unused and that is something that has never happened for me. I tried to catch up to Folger, but when I saw that the gap was not decreasing I preferred maintaining my position without taking any pointless risks. The result today is important. A top-10 finish after two weekends without any points and in such treacherous conditions is a morale booster. In any case, we need to keep working. Tomorrow we will be on the track again with a lot of things to test in order to grow the RS-GP.”