Aleix Espargarò arrived at Le Mans with a promising business card. In fact, the Spaniard finished the test day in Portimao with the best time, which did not earn him any points in the overall standings, but at least gave him a moral boost. Aprilia urgently needs a good result in order to be able to exploit the potential of a not yet fully developed bike, the RS-GP 20.
Before his round in Portimao, Espargarò was also the protagonist of a small “internal” challenge in Barcelona. On the Monday after the Grand Prix he actually stayed for a day of testing with the team on the Montmelò track and at the end of the day did a few laps in the company of Max Biaggi. The Spaniard had an RSV4 available, the Roman Champion the more exclusive X version.
How was the challenge against Biaggi at Barcelona?
“We did some good tests on the MotoGP bikes in Barcelona on Monday and on the last part of the day I used my Aprilia RSV4 to try a new type of brake to gain confidence. I did a few laps with Biaggi, but he had a slight advantage because he was on the RSV4 X which is faster, but I’m younger so we were more or less on the same level and we were having fun. We plan to go to Portimao together for a few days in winter to train. He’s getting old, but he’s still in great shape! “
Let’s talk about Portimão instead. How was it to ride a MotoGP bike on this track?
“It’s been nice to ride a new track, it’s always nice to race a new track. I rode a racing bike in Portimao a few months ago, but with the MotoGP bike it’s a completely different matter . The new asphalt made the track better, maybe not perfect, but definitely better than in the past. The track is great fun, but also one of the most difficult on a MotoGP bike. It’s difficult to go fast, it’s also very demanding from a. It’s not an easy track and the last corner is a bit dangerous in my opinion. It is a very fast corner and at the exit it goes from fourth to fifth gear before it goes onto the straight. At this point, the stands and the wall are really close. It’s a bit at the limit, but the rest of the route is great fun. “
Do you think Portimao is unsafe for MotoGP?
“The track is at the limit for MotoGP. It is really very close to the safety limit. Everyone in the videos and photos is impressed with the ups and downs, but there are run-off zones there and that is enough in the event of an accident. Everything is a bit at the limit but in any case it is inside. Instead, the last corner is not safe in my opinion. We’re used to driving on tracks that are even more dangerous, like Motegi, where the walls are closer. In any case, apart from the last corner, I think it’s pretty safe “.
Do you think Portimao is a suitable track for the RS-GP?
“It’s hard to say. I’ve done sixty laps and the bike was exactly the same as I ride. We were competitive, Bradl was there with Honda, Pirro, Pedrosa. We were a lot faster than them, but it always is one more test and I don’t want to draw any conclusions. It was only one day and I didn’t go to the limit. I think there is room for improvement, we had no chatter, we had no problems at all. The asphalt at the beginning of the day had little grip but got better as the hours went on. I’m happy, I think it could be a positive weekend for us. “
How did you find the asphalt in Portimao? Can that be a problem before you go into F1 there?
“The asphalt at Portimao has made some progress compared to my time there, but it’s not as perfect as at Misano, where it seemed very smooth. It’s good for racing, but when we think it’s a new one Asphalt trades “changes. Before it starts, Formula 1 will be racing there, let’s hope they don’t destroy it because they usually ruin the asphalt with their downforce and power. We’ll see how it goes but I hope they don’t ruin anything because they did a good job at Portimao. I would like MotoGP to keep racing there for a long time because the facilities are fantastic and the track is beautiful. “
It’s going to be very cold at Le Mans, are you satisfied with Michelin’s choice for the tires that brought you here?
“It’s not easy for Michelin to manage the tires and maybe change certain solutions. All drivers have to agree and for example in Austria everyone wanted to replace the front S, but not the KTM guys, so it wasn’t possible. Tire distribution is what it is, in Portimao I tried out the different solutions and gave my feedback. Even in Barcelona it was very cold despite the sun. Difficult for Michelin to master certain situations, but I think we have a solution at Le Mans that could prove to be suitable. I don’t think the cold can be a problem “.