MotoGP News: Aleix Espargaro Lashes Out At Riders After 'Dangerous' Silverstone Qualifying

Alex Harrington | Aug 3, 2024

Apr 16, 2023; Austin, TX, USA; Aleix Espargaro (41) of Spain and Aprilia Racing prepares to race in the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports / Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports

Aleix Espargaro, who clinched the pole position at the MotoGP qualifying at Silverstone, didn't hold back in his criticism of fellow riders' strategies during the intense session. After securing pole, the Spaniard voiced strong opinions echoing the earlier skepticism expressed by Francesco 'Pecco' Bagnaia regarding the common practice of seeking a tow from other racers.

In particular, the incident involving Marc Marquez, who attempted to shadow Bagnaia for a faster lap only to lose ground, exemplified the tactics under scrutiny. This practice, where riders linger either in the garage or on the track awaiting an opportunity to draft behind a faster competitor, drew criticism fromEspargaro for not only being "ridiculous" but also dangerous. His concern centered on the increased risk of accidents due to cooling tires as riders stall for the optimal moment to follow one another.

"I agree. In the qualifying you can take two risks. The first one is to go out first because the first one will be followed and you are in the mix with everybody. Or the second one is to wait, go last, but if there is a yellow flag you ruin your lap. I don’t like to go behind the others. I like to work by myself. I agree with Pecco," Espargaro stated.

"It is ridiculous that riders are waiting in the garage all the time for a tow. It's ridiculous to see five-six riders and it's always the same riders in the middle of the track waiting for the others. It's also dangerous because the others don't want to push and the tyres get cold.

"It's dangerous but they can do it because the rules allow you to do it. This is racing But like Pecco, it's ridiculous."

Despite scoring third in the sprint race, he believed a victory was in reach had he opted for a soft front tire. Reflecting on his performance, he was elated by his results.

"You always want a bit more when you don't win, but I'm happy really. I did a good race. There was nothing more I could do. I was expecting some drop from Jorge and Enea in the last three laps but they didn't drop. It was amazing the pace they proposed," he said.  "I think that with the soft front tyre we could have fought for the victory but when I saw that no one in Ducati used the hard front, I said to myself that it was a good opportunity to test it for the long race. I think everybody should go for the hard front so we put a lot of laps in the race and tomorrow can be more precise with the pressure and try something more on the setting."

Looking ahead, Espargaro stood optimistic about Sunday's race.

"We did the right choice but we lost the victory maybe. But tomorrow is more important," he concluded.