IN SUNDAY’S RACE, A PROBLEM WITH THE GEARBOX TAKES VIÑALES OUT OF PLAY WHEN HE WAS LYING SECOND, ESPARGARÓ COMES BACK TO FINISH EIGHTH
Portugal, 23 March 2024 - Maverick Viñaleshas gone down in Aprilia history taking victory in the Sprint Race. The Spanish rider, despite not being at top physical fitness, missed pole position by just 86 thousandths of a second in qualifying. Therefore, starting from the second spot on the grid, he lost a few positions during the first lap, only to come back quickly to take the race lead.
He managed to set a fast race pace, fending off the riders behind him and finishing first. With this first win, Maverick confirms his growth with the RS-GP24.
For Aleix Espargaró on the other hand, it was a complicated day, with the rider unable to go through to Q2 by just two tenth of a second. After a good start, he managed to make up positions in the early laps of the race. The Spaniard finished the Sprint Race eighth.
MAVERICK VIÑALES, #12: “I am truly happy about this first win with Aprilia and the great job the team is doing this weekend. I feel good on the bike. We are really in tune and I had a lot of fun in this Sprint Race.
This is a very special moment for me. I closed a circle. I knew that sooner or later I would be back to winning – I had absolutely no doubt.”
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ, #41: "First of all, I am extremely happy about Maverick’s first win with Aprilia. This is a bit of a complicated circuit for me – a stop and go track with strong acceleration points – so I have trouble finding the right feeling. The bike is competitive. Today I’ll need to work on being ready for the race.”
A PROBLEM WITH THE GEARBOX TAKES VIÑALES OUT OF PLAY WHEN HE WAS LYING SECOND, ESPARGARÓ COMES BACK TO FINISH EIGHTH.
Portugal, 24 March 2024 - Consistent with the performance demonstrated in the Sprint Race, Maverick Viñales had a brilliant start, moving immediately into second place. The Spaniard held the position throughout the race until, on the final lap, a problem with the gearbox cost him any chance of finishing a perfect weekend.
Straight away on the opening lap, Aleix Espargaró was the recipient of contact from another rider which relegated him to nineteenth place. From the rear guard, he launched an incredible come back, making up positions and managing to finish eighth.
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ, #41: "I’m really disappointed for Maverick because he had an incredible weekend and he deserved the podium, but unfortunately, that’s how racing is. I was unable to find the right feeling all weekend. I was lacking grip at the rear. In any case, I still set a good pace coming back from the rear and I’m taking some important points home.”
MAVERICK VIÑALES, #12: “From the sixth lap I could tell that something wasn’t working right with the gearbox. I was losing a lot of time on the straight. I still felt like I could have won, though. It’s a shame about the technical problem. In any case, I’m happy because I know that I gave one hundred percent. This weekend we took a huge step forward. We got our speed back and we demonstrated that the RS-GP24 can win. Now we’ll head to Austin, a track that I like and where I’ll arrive more motivated than ever.”
APRILIA:
www.aprilia.com/en_EN/aprilia-racing/moto-gp
MOTOGP 2024 CALENDAR:
www.motogp.com/en/calendar
