The driver from Granollers has won the fourth consecutive podium, the fifth of the season, and closes the Italian Grand Prix in second place in the general classification, just eight points behind the leader Quartararo.
However, the Aprilia rider was hoping for victory at Mugello, a goal snatched away by Pecco Bagnaia: “Sunday was one of those days when I wanted to win,” he continues. “But Massimo [Rivola] told me ‘it’s not the time, don’t worry. We’re going race by race, we’re getting the points'”.
“Fabio [Quartararo] and I are constantly fighting, but when Pecco [Bagnaia] has everything going for him he is very difficult to beat.”
“I think being consistent is great, but you also have to be fast. If I keep coming third and Pecco [Bagnaia] keeps winning, it doesn’t do me any good. You have to be a little faster.”
The Spanish rider took the opportunity to vindicate the qualifying day for the Italian Grand Prix. “I’m still angry with Saturday’s qualifying, but I’m aware it was dangerous conditions.”
What is certain is that, at almost 33 years of age, he has become one of the contenders for the MotoGP title: “You get used to things quickly. The truth is that I am happy with how things are turning out.”
“But you don’t get up one morning and say ‘today I win, I’ll be world champion’. It’s something that builds slowly. Already in 2020 Aprilia had brought a competitive bike, we were starting to get closer. In 2021 we had an extraordinary championship, we finished eighth in the world championship and Aprilia arrived with an even more competitive bike”.
“Confidence builds slowly and now I just try to touch nothing, because we’ve done a good job over the years, I’m very happy. Now we have to keep it up.”
At the moment, Aleix Espargaró leads the development of one of the strongest bikes on the grid and has the full confidence of the Aprilia box.
“Humanly I think there is no team like ours. Aprilia has shown that technically it is also at the level of the best bikes. Today the engine was running very fast, and this is a great test. It will be very difficult, obviously, but after almost halfway through the championship we are only 8 points behind the world champion, so dreaming is free”, concluded the Spaniard.
