The Spaniard secured his second MotoGP podium ever and the first for Aprilia in modern times when he fought off Ducati’s Jack Miller and finished third in the British Grand Prix last weekend.
That podium followed on from comments from Espargaro earlier this weekend that Maverick Vinales’ arrival at Aprilia will prove he’s one of the top three riders in MotoGP.
When asked by Motorsport.com whether his Silverstone podium was important given the reaction these comments generated, Espargaro explained what he meant exactly – noting he was at a top 3 level on the current grid moves.
“I mean, I never said I was one of the top three riders in MotoGP,” Espargaro began.
“What I said is that at that moment I felt like I was riding at a very high level, in the top three in the current MotoGP class. I really believe it is.
“But it’s a sport that you have to have a good bike to prove it.
“Today [Sunday] We had a better speed than third place, I was really convinced that I would follow Fabio [Quartararo] But I didn’t have the pace like in the warm-up or on Saturday because it was very cold and I didn’t have the pace with the middle front.
“When I saw that Fabio was changing the front against the soft one, I really doubted it because I made my lap times very, very hard when braking.
“Ultimately, it was safer to stick with the medium.
“Anyway, I prove that I drive well, at a good level. My bike is improving a lot, but Aprilia is still not a winning bike. So I think I’m in good shape when I’m driving. “
Also read:
Espargaro added that he is currently not seeing anyone faster than him except Quartararo.
“What makes me happy is that this podium didn’t come in a wet race or because someone fell,” he said.
“We knocked on the door at many races this year. That makes me happy that we are strong.
“I was actually in the top 5 when the engine went out at Le Mans. When the engine stopped in Austria, I was very strong even in a very difficult situation for me and was convinced that I could fight for the podium there too.
“So Silverstone is not a special track, we are competitive everywhere.
“I’m sure that if we didn’t have these engine problems, we could fight for the top 3 in the championship, because if you look at the points, we’re not that far yet.
“Well, hopefully we can confirm that in the next races. I know it won’t be easy, it is not automatic that I fight for the podium every race.
“But I think we’re closer than ever, and like I said before, I think every rider in the MotoGP class is pretty much the same right now, except for Fabio, who is one step further than the others.
“But at the moment I don’t see anyone except him who is faster than me. So I hope that I will be on the podium in the next races as well. “