MotoGP Americas, Austin: Aleix Espargaro 'happy as last year’s podiums' after Austin breakthrough
The Texan track has traditionally been one of, if not the worst ♐of the season for Espargaro, who had never finished in the top෴ ten with the RS-GP.
But some big set-up changes saw him quali𓆏fy in sixth, then run second to eventual winner Francesco Bagnaia for the maj🦋ority of the 10 laps.
Alex Rins and then Martin moved ahead in the closing stages, but Espargaro was close enough t🦂oജ try a last-lap repass on the Pramac Ducati rider.
The #41 couldn’t make it stick, but bein𒊎g so competitive meant he valued the result as much as the podi💮ums he scored last season.
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“I'm very happy and thankful to the team because we never normally mess so much with the setting,𝔉 with the geometry of the bike and we did yesterday,” Esparga𒉰ro said.
“We had long meetings. They tried to help me as much as possible. We made the bike shorter and we changed also the front end quite a lot 🅠to make the bike a little more agile. And fro♏m this morning I felt good.
“I did a good qualifying and then the pace that I showed in🌌 the race, I'm as happy as the podiums that I did last year sincerely. I missed out on the third place but the pace that I that I did was very good. Very fast.”
Espargaro, who also set the second fastest lap of൲ the r𒁃ace, now heads into Sunday’s main event believing he has the speed to match all but Bagnaia.
“I think I have very similar speed to Rins and Martin. I made some mistakes that hasn't allowed me to fight for the podium, but they are not faster than me🌼,” Espargaro said.
“Pecco is faster than me, sincerely. The way he picks up the bike, the way he prepared the exit of the corner allows him to have a better traction than the rest. He’s really riding in a very high level at the moment, so I don't think we can match him, but thereꩲ's still time to improve. Every session, I improve a little bit, so hopefully I can find Something for tomorrow.”
Team-mate Maverick Vinales was the next best Aprilia rider, in tenth, having fought bac💯k from 18th on the opening lap.
Peter h𝓰as been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury is🔜sues.
