MotoGP Austria: Pol Espargaro: “I apologise to Marc Marquez, I calculated badly” | “I have a 2024 contract!”
Pol Espargaro explained that his lengthy injury absence contributed to him miscalculating the speed and distance of an approaching Marc Marquez, at the end of Friday practice for the Austrian MotoGP.
Instead of Marquez passing hi𝓰m before the corner, as Espargaro expected, the Repsol Honda𝕴 caught the GASGAS rider as he turned in.
Marquez was forced to ru✨n wide, ending his hopes of direct access to Qualifying 2, with Espargaro later given a three-place grid penalty by the FIM Stewards.
“I talked with [Marquez] just now and he understands me, because he has been in that position,” Espargaro✅ said. “You cannot understand how fast these bikes are coming - when you’ve been away [from MotoGP] for so long, you do not coordinate the distance plus the speed.
“So I checked behind, I saw him coming. That's why I'm not on the line. But then I♔ expected that he would overtake me faster. [But] he was not overtaking me as I was expecting, then I made the corner.
“So it was my mista🅘ke. I calculated all the things badly. So it's just a matter of missing a lot of time on a MotoG𒈔P bike and calculating the distance plus the speed.
“But yeah, I apologise. I did a mistake for sure༺.”
That incident aside, it was a positive start to Espargaro’s second weekend back, finishing 15th fastest, a fra൩ction behind KTM’s Jack Miller and five places clear of rookie team-mate Augusto Fernandez.
“ജHonestly, the bike works really, really good. I'm happy and pleased,” Espargaro said.
“I was not as fꦇast as Brad because Brad has been really quick. But I've been a bit faster than Au♛gusto and similar to Jack, so I'm pretty OK. Still, I feel I have a lot of margin, which is good. So let's do another step tomorrow.”
The Spania🐽rd, who suffered ten fractures at the Portimao season opener, confirmed his focus is on matching the other RC16 riders.
“Yeah, 100%. At the moment they are my targets. Brad is in another level from all the Pierer Mobility Group, but I believe I can be with Jack at the moment - maybe not now, but𓃲 just in the short future. And this is my target to try to be with him.
“Today we did it. This morning I was a bit faster than him. And this afternoon we matched lap time. ꦫSo just I need to keep improving myself and maybe in a few races, maybe I can look for Brad. But at the moment it's too far away, he’s too fast!”
Asked where fourth-fa𓆉stest Brad Binder is making the diffe✨rence, Espargaro replied:
“He brakes like an animal! He brakes so late and he's able to control the bike in a very, very precise w♓ay in the inside of the corner, the way he's moving the bike and changing direction.
“I'm still weak on ch𓃲anging direction, especially on the right to left because all my left side of the body is way too weak and every time there is a left corner I lose quite a lot of performance from my elbow and all these parts.
“So still I have quite a lot of margin, but it's nice to always keep motivated looking ꦡat the fastest and dreaming a lot about the guys you want to beat.”
Pol
Espargaro: “I have a contract with GASGAS for 2024”
With KTM yet to clarify how they will fit an additional rider, Pedro Acosta, into their MotoGP line-up next season, Espargaro could only j♏oin team-mate Augusto Fernandez in c𝐆onfirming he has a contract in place.
“I read and I hear a lot, even when I was a༺way injured, that my bike was at risk and all this. But it has never been at risk. I mean, I have a contract for this year and next year,” Espargaro said.
“If at the end of next year I'm not performing well, I'm going to be the first one to leave, but I'🥀m gonna be here performing that two years and I believe I'm fast enough to prove it.
“But the con☂tract I have i🥀s 2023 and 2024, with the GASGAS Factory Racing team.
“I feel I'm faster than some of the guys inside the factory, so I'm going to prove it and then it's the way that you all stop talking abo🔯ut that!”
KTM says that its preferred option is to try and acquire an additional 𓆉grid slot to run Acosta next season, with🌄 his current Ajo team.
Do🌃rna would prefer that the ex-Suzuki places only went to a new manufacturer, but KTM seems to be using🎃 the chance to veto a change to the technical concessions (for struggling factories such as Honda and Yamaha) as a potential bargaining tool.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valeꦍntino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suz🌊uki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
