Aleix Espargaro from Aprilia thinks that Ducati possesses a significant edge in race and tire management, especially after witnessing their strong performance in the British Grand Prix, where they occupied the top five positions.
Espargaro set a dazzling record-breaking lap in qualifying, securing pole position for the MotoGP sprint and grand prix at Silverstone. However, he soon realized that he couldn’t match the speed of the competing Ducatis on his Aprilia RS-GP, falling to fourth at the race’s onset behind three riders on the latest GP24 model.
While he managed to overtake Enea Bastianini at Village during the third lap, he struggled to maintain his lead as the Ducati rider overtook him again shortly after the race hit its halfway point.
In the final stages of the 20-lap race, Espargaro experienced a significant decline in tire performance, allowing the year-old GP23 bikes of Marc Marquez and Fabio di Gianantonio to pass him, resulting in a sixth-place finish, 9.5 seconds behind the winner.
Despite his struggles, the experienced grand prix competitor believes that his difficulties at Silverstone are not solely indicative of Aprilia’s limitations, but rather reflect the superior pace that Ducati holds over its opponents.
Espargaro was the only non-Ducati rider to finish within the top eight on Sunday, as Ducati successfully placed all eight of its bikes inside the top 10 for only the second time in history.
“Just like in Barcelona, I cautioned on Friday that we need to enhance our race management because Ducati has made a significant leap since last year,” he remarked, referring to his salvage of a fourth-place finish after securing pole position at the Catalan GP in May.
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“This race mirrored Barcelona, finishing nine seconds behind the winner despite setting pole and a track record.
“However, Ducati has more to offer, they make it look easy and excel on Sundays. They consistently possess an extra edge for race day. I push my tires hard just to keep up with their pace.
“The race results speak volumes. I was the only Aprilia among a sea of Ducatis. The top eight positions were all held by Ducati riders; this is quite telling.”
Espargaro was one of only two riders on the grid to opt for the hard front tire, even as conditions cooled by the race start at 1 PM local time in the UK.
This sparked initial doubts that a poor tire choice contributed to his struggles, but Espargaro later clarified that it was indeed the rear medium tire that hindered his performance.
The three-time race winner disclosed that he made more in-race adjustments to his bike than he ever had in a MotoGP race, but it still fell short against the tire advantage held by Ducati.
“Today was one of the highlights of my racing career,” he stated. “I tried to manage everything with hard tires, aiming to slow them down at braking points.
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“We took risks, setting a track record behind Jorge [Martin] and Pecco [Bagnaia], but there comes a point when I can’t push any further; I need to find ways to improve.
“On the bike, I was focused, setting a record for changing maps, engine braking, and power adjustments.
“I tried every possible way to reduce the gap as much as I could, but it’s undeniably frustrating.
“While I can’t complain, it’s important to highlight that many riders ahead of me were significantly slower, yet Ducati has excelled in tire management.”
