Tyre gamble doesn’t pay off for Espargaro who loses all options for the title

Pol Espargaró has lost all options in Estoril to become world champion when he took a risk with his tyre choice in difficult conditions and his 10th position in the end was not enough to keep his championship alive until Valencia. Efrén Vázquez, on the other hand, had crashed before the red flag and then finished 8th in the shortened race which moved him up to the fifth position in the championship, his goal for this season.
Both Tuenti Racing riders have given everything in a complicated weekend as far as weather conditions with positive and negative results, leaving Pol Espargaró unrewarded for his risk, but ending positive for Efrén Vázquez.
Tuenti Racing Team will close its first season with excellent results, at the moment three triumphs and a total of eleven podium positions and its two riders sitting in third and fifth in the championship.

8. EFRÉN VÁZQUEZ: “It was a very complicated race, with a brutal crash in the first part and then fighting with a not perfect physical condition to get as many points as possible to get the fifth position in the championship. In the end I achieved my goal to claim 5th position which I know have to defend in Valencia, but it wasn’t easy looking how the weekend went. We had rain, wind, crashes and lots of nervousness, but I think I’ve done a good job and the team has tried to achieve the best possible result. In the race I went step by step, very calm and in the end I can go home satisfied, although a little sore.”

10. POL ESPARGARÓ: “We took a risk going out with rain tyres, trying to turn the championship around, but in the end the track was completely dry and we weren’t able to fight in the race and lost the little chance we still had to become world champion. I have given everything and hoped it would start raining again, but it didn’t happen and at least I was able to finish the race and get some points. In life sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Right now I am sad, but at the same time satisfied because we’ve done good work and a great season with three victories and a total of 11 podium positions. I’m sure when time passes we’ll realize what a great year we’ve had, even though at the moment we only see that we didn’t achieve our goal. In Valencia it’ll be my last race in 125cc and I would like to say Goodbye to the category with a win.”

Source: Tuenti Derbi Racing