Aleix Espargaro: “I said to myself ‘they are over the limit’ - I was right”
“I said to myself ‘either crash or they💛 will destroy the front and the re📖ar tyre'"
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Aleix Espargaro insists he knew that his rivals were ridiౠng over the limit before they crashed out of the sprint race in Barcelona.
Espargaro’s dream weekend at the Catalunya MotoGP continued on Saturd💜ay when he won the sprint, after three riders had fallꦓen out of the lead.
Espargaro announced he will retire from MotoGP at th🧔e end of this season but his v🤡ictory on Saturday on home turf was a reminder of his cunning.
Raul Fer🌜nandez, Brad Binder and Pecco Bagnaia were all leading before crashing out but Espargaro saw it coming.
“I said on Thursday that at 80% of the tracks you can go full gas,” Espargaro said 🐓afterwards. “But there are a few tracks where it’s not just about speed.
“I could have gone as fast as them, at the ♛beginning. After a bad start, I said to myself ‘they are over the limit’.
“They were using a lotꩵ of the front and thဣe rear. I could see from behind.
“I said to myself ‘either crash or they will destroy the front and the rear tyrꦫe so you will have options at the end’.
“I was right.
“I was trying not to overtake. I 🧜could maintain their pace. I analysed everybody’s pace - I was the only one who proved I could go under 39.5 for a couple of laps. They were doing that lap which means they were over the limit.
“If I tried to overtak𒅌e, I would have been over the limit.
“So I said ‘wait for five laps’. When the grip drops I ꦛwould have the possibility to attack.
“I attacked Jorge Martin, then Pedro Acosta, then everybody sta✱rted to crash.
“Sometimes, to have experience, it pays off!”
Espargaro described the elation 🐟of winni🗹ng at his last-ever home round.
“Unbe♏lievable. After a difficult race where ✱you are focused,” he said.
“When you ride at th𓆏e limit you don’t know if you are here, or in China. You are fully focused.
“You pick up the bi💛ke and realise you’re at your home circu🦹it, on the main straight, winning the race. I am super happy.”
The Aprilia rider’s confirmation this week that he will bring an end to his career has relieved 🍒him of any e♏xpectation.
“I have no ♛pressure,” he said. “I have a co𒅌ntract until the end, then after Valencia, I will go home. I will try to have fun, to smile.
“I never enjoy the grid. It is the worst moment of the weekend. 🍌I never enjoy it. Today I enjoyed it. I spoke to my wife, I saw൲ my friends.”
Espargaro added: “It’s a fairytalꦺe. I have no word𒆙s.
“Pole position, winning the sprint, all the people in the grandstands✃ cheering🌳 for me…
“I could not dreaওm of a better Thursday, Friday and Saturday at my last home GP.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a🍒 decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
