Pol Espargaró (Honda): "That also concerns Marc" / MotoGP

Starting position 11 for the MotoGP race on Sunday in Le Mans. Repsol Honda rider Pol Espargaró was less than happy with the performance of the RC213V. At least the feedback from teammate Marc Márquez is identical.

Although Pol Espargaró set the best time in the first free practice session of the MotoGP class at Le Mans on Friday, it was only the fourth row of the grid for the French GP on Saturday. Like the other Honda riders, the factory Honda rider suffered from a lack of rear wheel grip, especially in the warmer conditions at the Circuit Bugatti. In the race he dares to finish in the top 6 as long as it stays dry.

“The lack of grip on the rear wheel, the issue I’ve been complaining about since the start of the season, is now also on Marc’s mind. It’s good that we have the same feeling and give similar feedback,” Pol explained in an interview after qualifying.

Welcome to Le Mans

Aleix Espargaró

Francesco Bagnaia

George Martin

Marc Marquez

Johann Zarco

Takaaki Nakagami

Brad Binder

Alex Rins

Maverick Vinales

Jack Miller

Enea Bastianini

Johann Zarco

Francesco Bagnaia

Miguel Oliveira

Pol Espargaró

Jack Miller

Fabio Quartararo

Pole for Francesco Bagnaia

Jack Miller, Francesco Bagnaia, Aleix Espargaró

“We didn’t expect to have such big problems. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish my last lap because Johann Zarco was in the way in the first chicane,” said the Spaniard and immediately emphasized: “But the lap wouldn’t have been any faster than the one in the morning anyway.”

Espargaró then: “As soon as we come to a track and everyone has to announce the track conditions, I am very fast. I’m actually one of the fastest, as we saw on Friday. After that, everyone keeps working and pushing more to the limit, and then we get to a limit. Then we can no longer improve. When it gets warmer in the afternoon, we don’t go faster, we slow down.”

“For Ducati, it doesn’t matter if it’s sunny, warm or cold. They’re always fast,” said the Honda works driver. “Unfortunately, we have more problems in this area, but we continue to work. It’s only the seventh round of the championship and we can’t give up. It’s going to be tough, but we’re doing our best in the race.”

“Let’s see how the weather turns out. I don’t want rain. In the dry we can fight for the top six, of course it depends on the start. I don’t know where we’ll end up in the rain,” Pol concluded.

MotoGP result, Le Mans, Q2 (May 14):

1. Bagnaia, Ducati, 1: 30,450 min
2. Miller, Ducati, 1:30,519, min + 0,069 sec
3. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, 1: 30,609, + 0.159
4. Quartararo, Yamaha, 1: 30,688, + 0,238
5. Bastianini, Ducati, 1: 30.711, + 0.261
6. Mir, Suzuki, 1: 30,943, + 0.493
7. Rins, Suzuki, 1:30,977, + 0,527
8. Martin, Ducati, 1: 31.068, +0.618
9. Zarco *, Ducati, 1: 30.863, + 0.413
10. Marc Marquez, Honda, 1:31.148, + 0.698
11. Pol Espargaró, Honda, 1: 31,526, + 1,076
12. Nakagami, Honda, 1:31,595, +1,145

*= shifted three places to the back

The rest of the starting lineup:
13. Bezzecchi, Ducati, 1: 30,940 min
14. Viñales, Aprilia, 1: 31.271
15. Marini, Ducati, 1: 31,363
16. Di Giannantonio, Ducati, 1: 31.487
17. Oliveira, KTM, 1:31,547
18. Brad Binder, KTM, 1:31,610
19. Morbidelli, Yamaha, 1:31,617
20. Dovizioso, Yamaha, 1:31,618
21. Alex Marquez, Honda, 1:31,763
22. Gardner, KTM, 1:31,820
23. Darryn Binder, Yamaha, 1: 32,596
24. Fernandez, KTM, 1: 32,767