The rider from Granollers (Barcelona) was riding sixth on lap 16 of the MotoGP race at Le Mans, which would have allowed him to match the best result of Noale’s team for the third consecutive race, when his bike said enough.
Espargaró had come back from 13th place on the grid after not being able to get into Q2 on Saturday for the first time this season and on Sunday he added his first zero of the year, due to someone else’s error. #41 finished did not hide his disappointment at what happened.
“On a technical level, the factory bikes cannot be stopped today. It is inadmissible, it cannot happen. The factory bikes have not been stopped for a long time. A satellite team’s bike can be stopped because the engine has more kilometers, but a factory bike can’t stop. Aprilia is improving a lot, but we always want more, more. It’s a very big mistake that we’ve made this weekend. I speak in the plural because if I’m going to crash another day it’s part of the game. Nothing happens, but we have to improve it”, said Aleix after the race.
The abandonment of the Catalan was joined by that of his partner Lorenzo Savadori, also for technical reasons.
“Two different problems. Worrying worries me. I am very frustrated about today because being able to leave here with so many points and so close to the best when I had practically done everything and was sixth. To be in the top six, no matter how much I have improved the Aprilia, I have to risk a lot and there will be races where I have to crash to try to fight for that coveted podium. If we want to fight with Aprilia for something serious in the championship, and I think we can do something serious, this cannot happen. I am convinced that Aprilia is doing well and it’s just a pebble on the road,” he apologized.
Aleix Espargaró undergoes surgery for compartment syndrome
The 31-year-old pilot traveled immediately after the race to Barcelona to get everything ready and undergo surgery first thing on Monday for compartment syndrome. He is the fourth member of the MotoGP grid to do so this season, after Iker Lecuona, Jack Miller and Fabio Quartararo.
“I’m not 100% convinced and it makes me a bit angry that I have to have an operation, because an operation is serious. But Mugello scares me a bit. We lost a lot of points, so we’ll have to make them up at Mugello with a solid race. If it is better to do the operation than not to do it, I will do it, even if I am not sure that it is the best solution. I do not want to have any doubts in Mugello. If I have problems in Mugello and I do not have the operation now, it will be worse, so yes, I will I will do”, he riveted.
The best photos of the chaotic MotoGP 2021 French GP
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
