Sepang MotoGP Test: Aleix Espargaro: 'Really stupid day, better to stay home with Netflix'

Aleix Espargaro missed out on valuable track-time after crashing at turn 12, while wet conditions throughout Saturday added to the Aprilia rider's misery as dry running was at a premium on the penultimate day of MotoGP testing in Sepang.
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia MotoGP Sepang 2023
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia MotoGP Sepang 2023

Way down the order following a very promising day one of the Sepang MotoGP Test, Espargaro was left disappointed a𓆏fter a turn 12 crash m🌃eant he was on the backfoot compared to his rivals.

Espargaro eventually finished the day in 20th place as Ducati once again topped the timingsheets courtesy of 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jorge Martin

“Really stupid day,” said Espargaro. “It’s a day that’s better to stay at home with Netflix because unfortunately the track took time to dry and when the track dried I went out and was coming really fast with a 1m ꦫ58s, but I crashed in turn 1𝓰2. 

“I had a problem with the brakes. I had no🌌 brakes and a couple of ꦐvibrations in the braking [zone] before corner 12. Then I was wide and I just lost the front. 

“When💃 the mechanics finished the bike I went back out, one lap, then it started to rain again. We lost a ♒lot of time today, unfortunately. 

“We had a lot of aerodynamic stuff to try but we couldn’t do that due to the condition﷽s today.”

What is a good sign for Espargaro and Aprilia is the level of performance they’ve shown when able to put ♊seveꦓral stints together in dry conditions.

A lighter chassis and a slig⛦htly faster engine are the words Espargaro used to describe the 2023 RS-GP, with the Spaniard now keen to make up for lost time on Sunday. 

Aleix Espargaro, Sepang MotoGP test, 10 February
Aleix Espargaro, Sepang MotoGP test, 10 February

Espargaro said: "The bike is slightly better in💞 many small details. The chassis is a little bit lighter due to the aero and the engine is a tiny bit faster so everywhere is a little bit better. 

"But I’m not sure it’s going to be enough. They told me that racing engines will be one step more com𝔉petitiv♔e. 

"They are on the dyno already �ไ�and working quite good. After the Ducatis we are quite good but all the Ducati riders are really good."

Although 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Maverick Vinales was only two places higher up the o🉐rder than Espargaro, the former ♍Yamaha rider was pleased with his day after putting in work on the new aero parts.

It means 😼Vinales can focus the final day towards extracting as much raw speed from his Aprilia as possible. 

Vinales added: "Not much to say. Only we got information which is important. We made the job that 🐓you need to make with used tyre🌱s but I didn’t put a good set [of tyres]. 

"I’m happy because the job we needed to maybe do tomorrow🅷, we did today, so tomorrow I can concentrate on riding and see the speed we ha🌠ve."

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