ALEIX ESPARGARÓ, FOURTEENTH, RIDES HIS APRILIA TO A POINTS FINISH
SCOTT REDDING TWENTY-FIRST
Working to improve the bike from the first session on Friday and with a performance in the race, the purpose of which, without holding back with his RS-GP, was to finish the race, Aleix Espargaró finished in the points in the GP of Misano. Fourteenth at the finish, he brought home two points that had been lacking since the Assen race and which boost morale also in view of the tests that Aprilia Racing will be conducting here in Misano tomorrow and Tuesday.
Starting well, in the top ten straight away, Aleix was penalised by the battle on the first turns which cost him five or six positions. From there he began a solid race that took him to the best result of the last four races.
Scott Redding had to deal with a tyre choice problem that caused him to finish twenty-first, rather far from his Aprilia Racing Team Gresini teammate.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’“The race was undoubtedly the best session of the weekend, despite the final result which was below our objectives. I managed to be faster than in practice, reducing the gap behind riders like Zarco, Petrucci and Iannone, but we are still lacking a few tenths in order to stay with them for race distance. I gave it my all, even physically, because now the RS-GP takes a toll in direction changes. Our weak point right now is on corners without brakes, where the bike should flow, whereas when you brake hard, we are rather competitive. The tests will be fundamental, also to increase the synergy with my new crew chief.”
SCOTT REDDING“I’m disappointed. Our weekend started the right way and I honestly thought that it could have been the right chance to show our potential. Instead, things got worse. Especially in the early part of the race I was very slow, and I had to let a lot of riders pass. I am in difficulty with the front tyre. I can’t use the hard because it’s too risky, partly because I weight more than other riders, and at the same time, the medium is too soft. I don’t have the solution. We are working, but we are struggling to get out of this vicious cycle.”
