It is a shining Pol Espargarò who set the fourth fastest time at Le Mans on Friday. so much that he turns out to be the best Honda rider out there. The Spaniard was able to send a very clear signal and show a step forward compared to the last appearances.
But that’s not all, the # 44 found in France Alberto Puig, a crucial element in the HRC house, once again on the pit wall …
“The presence of Puig is very important to me – Pol began – he was first and foremost a rider and knows us riders and our needs. I find it easier to get in touch with him than with a Japanese. I definitely don’t want to point a finger at the technicians and engineers, but simply have a more human relationship. Engineers and technicians are used to working with numbers, and a rider is a number on a bike that is shaped by many others. This is an aspect that is very restrictive ”.
Pol explained his point of view in more detail …
“If you talk to the technicians and engineers, you can say that Marc brakes better than me or accelerates more aggressively on this point. Alberto’s contribution is important because you are working with him on a technical level. He goes into detail and explains why Marc does better than me, maybe because he follows one line more than another or because he opens the throttle earlier “.
After studying the subject of Puig, Espargarò then spoke about his Friday.
“I’m happy with what we’ve done as we were able to find a direction to follow after testing in Jerez. In the Jerez tests, I did almost 100 laps and found something useful to reduce the problems we had. Indeed, here at Le Mans I don’t feel the difficulties entering the corners at the back and I also feel more comfortable on the bike. I don’t know if it all depends on the track or not, but like I said, the feeling is better and there is a lot of confidence. “
Obviously the # 44 keeps his feet firmly anchored in the ground …
“I want to stay calm and avoid slight excitement as it’s only Friday and the weekend has only just begun. Of course, it’s important to start on the right foot as we’ve been working in the right direction. The real win, however, is to be competitive on all tracks and in all conditions, such as at Mugello and Barcelona. If we should confirm the progress made there, then we have achieved something great ”.