Phillip Island.- The Aprilia rider finished the first day of the MotoGP Australian Grand Prix with the seventh fastest time, just 357 thousandths of the reference timer set by Johann Zarco (1.29.475), slightly slower than the championship leader , Fabio Quartararo, who finished fourth and immediately ahead of second overall, Pecco Bagnaia, who finished in eighth position, leaving a very even stage on this first day of work.
For Aleix, the options to continue fighting for the championship are to go totally on the attack, since the distance with the French and the Italian is 20 and 18 points, respectively.
“It wasn’t bad. I think I can get back to the front again. This morning, the track was on the edge of being dangerous. And you know that, on this circuit, mistakes are very expensive,” said the Aprilia rider.
Aleix starred in one of the curious moments at the start of the Australian Grand Prix, when in FP1 a wallaby crossed the track and the Spaniard almost ate it at more than 200 km/h, an ‘encounter’ that, fortunately, ended without more incidents.
For Aleix, the important thing now is to continue improving and he hopes that the conditions on Saturday continue to improve and allow him to do so.
“Let’s see if tomorrow, with more temperature, I can ride with the front hard rubber. I have a very good pace; Fabio’s is not better than mine and Pecco is not faster either. I expected Fabio to have more pace”, he assessed.
Despite the fact that the inclement weather that the pilots encountered when arriving at Phillip Island gave a respite, the circuit presented some humidity, and the temperatures were low.
“The tires are also very cold,” he complained.
Unlike 2019, when the last race was held here, the Aprilia has grown a lot and its performance has improved.
“The bike runs well and is very stable in the fast corners, we can go very fast,” he said.
Regarding his options for the title, Espargaró is clear about it and knows that he does not have to do too many numbers.
“I need to win on Sunday if I want to fight for the title. It is true that 20 points are not many, but with Pecco and Fabio it will not be easy,” he admitted.
The good thing for Aleix is that he knows he has room for improvement, as his teammate, Maverick Viñales (5th), was even quicker than him at the end of the day by 87 thousandths.
“Maverick always goes very fast,” recalled the man from Granollers.