Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro says he’s found it “ridiculous” and “embarrassing” to see experienced MotoGP riders slowing down and seeking out others to use as a reference point.
Espargaro, the winner last time out at Termas de Rio Hondo, was left stranded in Q1 in qualifying at COTA this weekend, having crashed on a fast lap that could’ve taken him into the pole shoot-out.
But prior to that crash, it was clear Espargaro had been unsettled by seeing one particular rival try to use him as a reference, and it prompted an angry reaction from the Spaniard both in the immediate aftermath and in the post-session media debrief.
“I have to say that it has been my fault, I need to be more relaxed, we know this can happen, it’s my fault because I lost the concentration and this cannot happen. But it’s crazy, it’s crazy,” he said.
“Alex Marquez has zero respect, he was stopped in FP4 waiting for me, same thing with the first tyre, and again with the second tyre. It’s crazy. It’s unbelievable that this is happening.
“But again, it’s my fault, I need to be more focused, don’t lose the concentration, do my job, and it is how it is. I feel very disappointed today because I did a big effort this weekend to try to be competitive, I think we are podium contenders, the pace is very strong, I’m extremely happy about this – but I was not able during the weekend to put a good lap with the soft tyre, and when I was coming very very fast in the first split [sector] with the last tyre I crashed.”
For his part, Marquez – who had his own crash in Q1 and described his Saturday as potentially the worst day of his MotoGP career so far – shrugged off Espargaro’s complaints when told of them by The Race.
“He knows how racers work, and that’s it,” Marquez said.
“He also followed many riders in the past, and for that reason we try to follow him – but he just also followed many riders in the past. So he needs to just remember that and that’s it. This is racing, it’s the game.”
Marquez was far from the only rider obviously seeking out a reference to follow at various points on Saturday.
In FP3, TV cameras captured the remarkable sight of almost a half-dozen riders each side of the racing line jockeying for track position during the crucial final minutes, while during the pole shoot-out Marquez’s elder brother Marc was clearly intent on following Enea Bastianini (Gresini Ducati) through the whole session – which seemed to actually compromise his result.
The elder Marquez has never been shy about using reference points when he’s felt he needed to, and his factory team-mate Pol Espargaro – Aleix’s brother – has acknowledged it as a necessary evil for Honda riders who currently don’t seem to have the ideal bike for one-lap pace.
When asked by The Race about the familiar sight of numerous riders trying to find someone to tow all across Saturday’s sessions, Espargaro said: “It’s embarrassing. But at the end what race direction told us on the last Safety Commission [meeting] where I said that it was ridiculous, was that if they [riders] are not in the middle of the line, they can wait [for others]. Obviously it’s not nice on TV to see this, and regarding the rookies I can really understand a little bit, but come on, from other riders, with factory bikes, with a lot of experience, we should be an example [for younger riders].
“This is what I try from the winter test, one of my goals in my head was to go alone, to push alone, to do a good job this season, and I never wait for nobody this year, and I will try to go alone always this year. But there are a lot of experienced riders with factory bikes [doing this], it’s embarrassing.”
