Fabio Quartararo: “Never seen someone ride a MotoGP bike like that”, Aleix: “Congratulations to KTM, but…”

While Aprilia and Yamaha have MotoGP bikes that can be fast on their own, KTM has a bike that can race.
Brad Binder, MotoGP race, Spanish MotoGP, 30 April
Brad Binder, MotoGP race, Spanish MotoGP, 30 April

That seemed to be the conclusion of Aprilia’s pole sitter 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Aleix Espargaro and Yamaha’s former world champion 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Fabio Quartararo, after watching the heroics of KTM riders 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Brad Binder and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jack Miller during the Spanish MotoGP weekend.

Wh😼ile both orange machines finished on the podium in both races, including a Sprint victory for Binder, Espargaro crashed from fifth in the Sprint, a position he then held onto in the main race.

“I'm very disappointed because once again… I felt that I have one of the best bikes out there,” Espargaro saidꦓ.

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“I love my bike, sincerely, it's fantastic. I can be super fast. But once I'm in the mix in a race, and in the end that’s wh🐲ere it counts, I cannot do my lines, I cannot race as I want.

“I lose the front all the time w𓆏hen I get closer [to the bikes ahead]. The bike is not turning, the fro💛nt tyre is a disaster.

“We have to understand if it is the aerody𒀰namics, plus temperature or pressure of the front tyre. But once Zarco crashed in front of me and I had a little bit of cool air, I did my fastest lap🎉, almost the fastest lap of the race.

“But it's not abou🔜t thꦍis. It's about racing, overtaking and my bike today doesn't allow me to do this.”

Aleix Espargaro, MotoGP, Spanish MotoGP sprint race, 29 April
Aleix Espargaro, MotoGP, Spanish MotoGP sprint race, 29 April

Espargaro: ‘Congratulations to KTM, but my bike is better’

The Spaniard added: “I want to say congratul𝄹ations to KTM, the job they did is amazing. The riders, Jack, Brad and the whole team, it’s crazy what they'r𝔉e doing.

“But my feeling is that my biꦛke is better than ๊them.

“So this is why I'm even more frustrated because their bike 𓃲allowed them to be really aggressive in the race.

“They understand better the concept of the tyre,🍌 the way of racing of 2023 and they did better than us.

“My bike is re𝓀ally good when I'm alone, but it's not about thi🐠s.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Quartararo: ‘I've never seen someone riding a GP bike like that’

Quartararo, who finished🤡 twelfth and tenth after also struggling to overtake, echoed many of Espargaro’s comments.

“I was impressed by Brad in the Sprint race. I've never seen someone riding a GP bike like that,” the Frenchman said of Binder’s sidew💝ays braking style.

“It’s already his riding style, but to [have aဣ bike] that allows you to make this kind of movement… it’s my dream you know!

“We have several difficulties that we have to figure out: On🌠e is the ti𒅌me attack and the other is following people. Because on the pace we are fast.”

Juღst eleventh in the world championship heading into his home grand prix at Le Mans next weekend, Quartararo emphasised that this year’🍎s engine boost is not enough.

“We have more [engine] power and people think ‘yeah, it's good’ but it's not good bec♌ause we have to use two small wings compared with two massive wings [on other bikes],” he said.

“If we [have more] aero, we are 4ks slower and are exactly 💎back as before, or wo🦩rse [for top speed]. So we need much more power to be able to use much more downforce and be able to fight.

“This is one thing but also being able to overtake and stay close, 🔯this is our main problem right now.”

 

Aleix: Starts a ‘big problem’

Given their issues fighting in the pack, a strong quꦡಞalifying and race start is vital for the likes of Espargaro and Quartararo.

While Quartararo struggled for a flying lap at Jerez, he was at least quick off the line from 16th.🎃 But Espargaro had the opposite issue.

Having ticked the first box with pole position, heꦺ lost out to both KTMs - starting second (Jack Miller) and fourth (Brad Binder) - in all four race starts, counting the red flags.

“Yes, it’s a big, big problem,” acknowledged Espargaro. “Pole position is🐠 the best I can do in practice, but even doing all four starts from first I lost places.

“I tried to start with both feet on the ground, one foot on the ground. We increased the power in𝄹 2nd gear [for Sunday] and it was even worse than [Saturday] because the bike wheelied.”

Espargaro, like team-mate Maverick Vinales, duly worked on practice start𝔍s and reducing the ‘stress’ on the front tyre, to aid overtaking, during the Monday test.

“The ﷽starts are part of our sport, they were not so important in the past, [but] it's amazing ho𓆏w important they are [now],” Espargaro said.

“Everybody knows that you cannot overtake. I had the same pace as Bagnaia more or less, so I'm sure that if I started P1 or P2, I could fight for the victory or second🌸 place.”

In terms of the close-combat issues he had encountered, Espargaro and Aprilia, “T☂ried many things, tr𝔍ying always to remove a little bit of weight from the front tyre.

“I know it's not the same to ride alone as in the race, but as ♛I cannot simulate the race, I am trying to remove aꦐ little bit of pressure on the front tyre.

“I've been๊ the fastest of the whole weekend on𓃲 used tyres, but when you are alone on Monday, it's difficult to understand the performance.”

Quartararo waꦛs third and Espargaro seventh during the Monday test.

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