Austin.- At 32 years old, the Spaniard is going through the best moment of his career, a circumstance supported by the podium he won last year at Silverstone, and last Sunday’s victory in Argentina.
Espargaró, who joined Aprilia in 2017 from Suzuki, has been the one who has led the growth of a motorcycle that is beginning to be at the level of the best. In all these years clad in the overalls of the Noale manufacturer, until last year at the hands of Gresini and from now on as its own structure, Aleix has always been more ostensibly faster than its peers, to the point of becoming the main builder bet.
At the present moment, in which the market begins to move with a view to the coming year, the eldest of the brothers from Granollers (Barcelona) has made it clear at all times that his priority is to extend his contract, which expires at the end of this exercise.
In this sense, the first talks between Albert Valera, his agent, and those responsible for Aprilia did not take place until the Indonesian Grand Prix, the second stop on the calendar. The meeting, as the runner himself recognized this Saturday, from Austin, was not exactly how he would have liked.
“My heart and my desire is to stay with Aprilia for two more years. I look good, strong and fast and I want to stay. I haven’t received any offers yet, but the first contacts with my agent were very disappointing. I was very sad because we are very far away”, said Espargaró, who will start the 13th this Sunday, after failing to pass the first qualifying sieve.
“In any case, there is still time and I hope that Aprilia appreciates my work over all these years. But, obviously, I have made it clear that I am fast and that I know how to develop a bike. The paddock will move and other opportunities will appear but, I repeat, I want to stay in Aprilia”, stressed the #41.
Catalan is one of the members of the grid that speaks the clearest. And so did he this time when asked about the behavior of those runners who seek to glue themselves to another’s wheel often.
“It’s embarrassing, really. If it’s a rookie who’s looking for the wheel, well, that’s understandable to a certain extent. But not Alex Márquez, who rides an official Honda and has been in the category for three or four years. He waited for me at the fourth free test, he waited for me on my first start in Q1, and he also waited for me on the second. Come on man!”
