Aleix Espargaró finished at the foot of the podium but it was he who made the strongest impression in Assen. Second at the start of the race, the Aprilia rider was hit by fabio quartararo on the fifth lap and had to cross the gravel trap at turn 5. Only 15th at this point in the race, he thought his chances of a good result were gone but he managed a very good comeback.
The comparisons with Pecco Bagnaiawinner of the event, will remain relative since the representative of Ducati could afford to be cautious in the lead, but Espargaró achieved the fastest lap in the race and above all impressed by his ability to chain overtaking, until the last lap and the last chicane, in which he took the advantage over Brad Binder and Jack Miller in a single move to finish fourth.
The Catalan thus takes 13 points from Fabio Quartararo in the championshipprobably more than if he had won, but cannot hide a hint of disappointment at having seen a potential second victory in MotoGP escape him.
What happened with Fabio Quartararo?
I was very strong in this corner and Fabio knew it. If Fabio did this manoeuvre, it’s because he has very good feelings on his bike. He manages to close the trajectories because he has very good feelings. We saw it at the first corner in Germany, with Pecco. He’s not a dirty driver but his confidence is so high that he manages to really close the lines. But today, I was also very fast so I closed the line like him and we collided. He apologized to me saying “I made a big error in judgment in this overtaking.” In the first laps, we made a few overtakes. It was on the limit on the straight because I didn’t want him to pass me today, but he didn’t judge this corner well.
You showed you were the fastest today…
It’s something that doesn’t offer points but for me it’s important and if I want to play this title, I needed it. I had missed it for four or five races, to be the fastest in the race. This weekend, apart from qualifying with five laps disrupted by yellow flags, I think I was the fastest. I showed them my speed and for me it is very important. Today I didn’t win because Fabio hit me but I think the victory was obvious. But for me, it was important to have these feelings.
I had nothing to lose and I don’t want to sound arrogant but I had a slightly better pace than the rest today. When you have an advantage of half a second or four tenths, it’s much easier because you’re doing very different things from the others.
Aleix Espargaró
How did you pass the others so easily?
No idea. Today I had nothing to lose and I don’t want to sound arrogant but I had a little bit better pace than the rest. When you have an advantage of half a second or four tenths, it’s much easier because you’re doing very different things from the others. I braked much later than everyone else at the last chicane. I was amazing in the fast sector, nobody could keep that much speed. That’s why it was pretty easy for me [de remonter].
You say you had nothing to lose but you’re second in the championship…
When Fabio hit me, I saw on my panel that I was 14th. So at that moment I thought to myself: “Your race is over, nothing will change if you score two or three points, it doesn’t count, you have to aim for more than ten. If you fall, you fall, it won’t be your fault if you fall but Fabio’s !” So I said to myself: “Today is the day to prove that you are fast and that you have a good bike” and I proved it. I smiled when I saw the 1’32″5, it’s amazing.
Miller seemed unhappy with the maneuver on the last lap…
I haven’t been dirty. He told me “I wasn’t criticizing you, I was criticizing Brad, he hit me in the arm” and i said “Ok !” [rires]. Two laps from the end, I switched to mapping 3, which was not easy. I had to slide in curves and keep more speed than them and it paid off. The overtake was at the last braking but in fact it was in the left corner [juste avant]. I kept 20 km/h more than them, it was incredible. It was just the energy coming up to the rope. I saw that Brad wasn’t very good on the brakes and I thought I was going to dive. I was even able to slow the bike down. I’m very happy because it was very important for the points.
The skirmish between Aleix Espargaró and Fabio Quartararo
Does that mean you were too slow before? [rires]
I overtook at least 20 pilots! I don’t think I overtook in other places. I think all the overtaking was there, one driver each lap.
Did the new fairing help you in fast corners?
Since Friday, I felt that as soon as I released the brakes in the fast part, I was much faster than the others, especially in the fast part. I lost time in some spots but in the fast sections my bike was definitely better.
On Friday, you said that Fabio was a little faster than you, but that when he was too fast and too confident, he could make mistakes. Yesterday, you said that you would like to come back less than a Grand Prix away from the championship. Do you have the lotto numbers for us?
I’m an old man from this paddock. I like to analyze how things are going. I know the category, I know the bike, I know my rivals. I know Fabio’s level of confidence and I also took a lot of time to analyze videos of him in the race, during practice sessions, everything! I know his riding and he has a lot of confidence and when you’re so fast, it’s not easy to stay at that level without making mistakes. It’s not that he was arrogant but since he feels so much faster than the others, he misjudged this overtaking. I knew it could happen so from there I said to myself: “Fabio is almost perfect, he hasn’t made a mistake all season so if he makes a mistake you have to take advantage of it.”
I’m pretty sure I could win today and I only have one win in my career so I was ready to go again. [seulement] five points and win.
Aleix Espargaró
Did you lose or regain points today?
It’s hard to know because I think today I could have won and Fabio would have finished second, that’s five points [d’écart]. I took 13. If you think of the championship, it’s better, but I lost a victory. I’m pretty sure I could win today and I only have one win in my career so I was ready to go again. [seulement] five points and win.
You kept your calm, which perhaps you wouldn’t have before…
If you’re not calm, it’s impossible to chain laps half a second below the previous record. It is not possible. I was aggressive, I was angry, super angry: every time I saw my times on the scoreboard, I got more and more angry because I knew it was impossible for others to be at this pace, and I saw that I was coming back to the leading group. I was angry but at the same time happy to maintain this pace.
Are you over the limit?
I never went over the limit because I didn’t make any mistakes. I never went out too wide. Today I was fast but today the bike was fantastic, unbelievable.
Did you surprise yourself in the first part of the season?
100%. Before starting this race, Fabio had the label of number 1 because he was the defending champion and he had as many points as last year. Now I’m 20 points behind him. It means that my level in the first part of the championship was incredible.
Would you like the next race to be next weekend?
Honestly, I’m really tired. Super, super exhausted, sincerely. I need rest, not five weeks but this year, mentally it’s totally different from last years. I guess it’s normal since I’m fighting for the title. Yesterday I was watching a movie in the motorhome with my son and I was very tired. I went to bed at 9:00 p.m. I really need to rest, to disconnect. I’m happy because I said I wanted to approach the holidays with less of a race [de retard] and I’m at 20 points, so I’m going to keep giving it my all.