Aleix Espargaro left fuming after Aprilia’s reliability woes strike again in Japan
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro had to retire from the Motegi Sprint race following issues with the bike.
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Aleix Espargaro (Via Motorsport.com)
The 2023 Japanese GP race weekend is finally here as the riders take on the challenges of Motegi. However, Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia seem to be struggling a lot. The Spanish rider comes to Japan after a disastrous outing at the inaugural Indian GP. The team has not had the best of results primarily due to the reliability aspect of the bike.
Aleix Espargaro was chasing a top-five finish during Saturday’s sprint race. However, on Lap 12, his RS-GP suddenly slowed down, and the Spaniard had to bring it to the pits. Pramac Ducati rider Jorge Martin went on to win the sprint after starting from pole position. Espargaro’s retirement from the Sprint was similar to the situation last weekend in India.
In an interview, the Spaniard talks about the dire situation. “I don’t understand what’s going on; the problems of the past are coming back. I don’t really know what to say,” he said. “The engineers may think it’s a matter of bad luck because it’s a small part like this. But I don’t believe in bad luck, so it should be investigated,” he stated.
Jorge Martin went on to win the Sprint race in Motegi as Aprilia scored a single point
After taking pole position on Friday, it seemed like the ‘Martinator’ was fully charged up. The Pramac Ducati rider delivered having won the Sprint race in Motegi too. This in turn has reduced the gap between him and Pecco Bagnaia furthermore. Sunday’s race results could lead to a new championship leader if Martin keeps on going.
On the other hand, Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia’s woes keep on going. It has been a stressful few weeks. After drama during qualifying and the retirement at Buddh International Circuit, the same pattern seems to be following this time around in Japan. However, the team left the sprint with a single point that was taken by Maverick Vinales. It will be interesting to see what happens during the race on Sunday.
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Varad Joshi
(940 Articles Published)