Aprilia MotoGP rider Aleix Espargaro says the best thing about his surprise third place in qualifying at the German Grand Prix is that it’s no longer really a surprise to see the team near the front.
It may still be in its habitual last place in the manufacturers’ championship, but in competitiveness terms Aprilia has made an extraordinary step forwards for 2021.
Espargaro will start tomorrow’s race at the Sachsenring alongside Johann Zarco and Fabio Quartararo on the front row, after ending today’s session a mere 0.2 seconds behind the pair. It’s Aprilia’s first front row start in the premier class since Jeremy McWilliams’s 2000 Phillip Island pole.
“We’re showing everyone that Aprilia is getting serious with a good bike” :: Aleix Espargaro
“Obviously I’m very happy to finish today in the front row,” Espargaro beamed when asked about that progress by The Race, “but the good thing is that I feel like it’s not a huge surprise because of how close we’ve been in the previous races.
“I’m not far from the fastest guy on Saturday at many circuits, and it looks like the balance and the competitiveness of the new bike is much better.
“It allows me to be fast in more or less every circuit.”
Amid his delight, Espargaro was also trying hard not to get too far ahead of himself, acknowledging that it’s only qualifying and that the real work comes tomorrow.
But he said this result was important not just for his race chances but to his crew, after a difficult few seasons developing the bike into a competitive machine.
“It’s just qualifying, it’s just Saturday and there’s no points today,” he stressed.
“But to be in parc ferme and to see all my guys there smiling and happy made me very proud, and that’s the most important thing from today.
“In the end, starting third, fourth, fifth, isn’t the most important difference, even if it’s more important at the Sachsenring because it’s not an easy circuit to overtake on.
“But to give a nice moment to all of my people makes me very happy, and we’re showing everyone that Aprilia is getting serious with a good bike.
“We’re not far from the top guys at every single race, and of course tomorrow is going to be a little easier starting from the front row.”
Espargaro’s chances of maintaining his form in race trim are better than usual, as the tight, twisty and short German track very much plays to the strengths of the Aprilia.
“It’s normally a circuit where the Aprilia is quite competitive,” admitted the 31-year-old, “because it’s not too demanding for the engine and the stability of the RS-GP is the highest we’ve had.
“In the second part of the track I’m competitive and you never know what can happen with the equality that we have now.
“I’m very proud, because I knew that in this circuit we had a good chance and at the moment I’m enjoying riding here and feeling good with the bike.
“Tomorrow you never know what can happen on a MotoGP Sunday. Maybe Fabio and [Miguel] Oliveira have really good pace, and we know how fast the Ducatis are in races, but we don’t have bad pace and the top five is realistic.
“I’ll try to hold there from the beginning and see how far I can go.”
There’s a bigger picture value to this form too.
Aprilia is still trying to recruit a new rider to take over from Lorenzo Savadori on the second bike for 2022, and Espargaro’s hoping that a strong result will tempt someone into joining him.
While Andrea Dovizioso has signed up as Aprilia’s official test rider, unfortunately as things stand he seems less interested in racing for it.
So Espargaro is aware that a good result is extra ammunition for team boss Massimo Rivola.
“I’ve done everything I can to convince everyone,” said Espargaro, “and I know that Massimo is trying to bring either a young talent or Dovi, who has a lot of experience and is a very fast rider.
“The faster I go, the closer to the winners I finish, the easier it’s going to be for Massimo to convince the others, but it’s difficult for me to go any faster.
“But if I achieve a good result tomorrow and in Assen, I hope that during the summer break they’re able to find a fast and good team-mate for 2022.”
