MotoGP Japan: Aleix Espargaro: ‘Perhaps my best performance in the wet’, Maverick Vinales down at Turn 1
The factory Aprilia rider took the lead after his bike swap, before being shuffl♊ed back to sixth place as the rain eased.
But as conditions worsened, Espargaro’s soft rear - most other frontrunners were on the medium - beg♎an to pay off once agaℱin.
However, the rain became too extreme, and the race was halted at half di🅰stance, with Espargaro in fifth.
But with Johann Zarco not classified after his late fall, Espargaro’s 11 points also handed him fifth place i♕n the world championship.
"All told, a positive day with perhaps my best performance in the wet,” Espargaro said. “After the bike change, we had chosen the soft rear tyre, counting on the fact that when it rains it pours here in Mꦦotegi.
“Instead, on the first laps it was difficult. With not much water on the track, the soft tyre overheated aಞnd I was afrai𓆉d I wouldn’t be able to finish the race. However, when the rain increased, I began to feel increasingly better.
“I was making up ground on the riders ahead of me and cou♎ld have aimed for something higher than fifth place. Unfortunately, visibility was really low and it got even worse after the red flag and the restart.
“The de🌳cisions taken by Race Direction today were impeccable."
Vinales: ‘My race was over on the first corner’
Team-mate Maverick Vinales saw his Motegi chances end after contact at a perilous first corner,༒ which riders approached using sliꦡck tyres in the increasing rain.
Marco Bezzecchi had to sit up his VR46 machine to avoid the back wheel of Francesco Bagnaia, causing contact with Vinales, who became sandwiched𒐪 between Bezzecchi and Johann Zarco.
While the oth൩ers remained on two wheels, Vinales then fell in the ෴gravel, rejoining in last, where he remained.
The cancellation of a restart then ended any 🌟hope of points.
"My race was over on the first corner wh💦en I was forced wide into the gravel, crashing and restarting last with a huge gap,” Vinales said.
“After the bike change, to be honest, my pace in the wet was extremely good, but with so much distance🍃 to make up, it would not have bee🎃n an easy race.
“I was hopeful for the restart after the red fl🎀ag. Even though I 🧸would have started from pit lane, at least I would have had another chance."
Vinales is seventh in the world championship, 23 po♚ints behind Zarco.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s 🃏injury issues.
