Aleix Espargarò disappointed for the race in Thailand ended in 11th place. But he reduces the gap from the ranking leader Fabio Quartararo.
Fabio Quartararo is certainly the great disappointment of the GP of Thailand, but Aleix Espargarò is certainly no less. After the human error in Japan last Sunday that denied him the conquest of precious points for the classification, in the wet of the Chang Circuit he does not shine and closes 11th, earning just 5 points and reducing the gap from the top to 20 points when there are only three races.
The problems for the Aprilia rider started right from the start, when he touched Brad Binder’s KTM and put him out of the game. The RS-GP22 remedies the breakage of an aerodynamic flap, while the Granollers standard bearer has to serve a Long Lap Penalty inflicted on him by the Race Direction and which causes him to lose four positions. “I was 6th or 7th behind Enea and had a good pace“, He said Aleix Espargarò in the debriefing. “But I am very angry that I had to take a very long penalty for contacting Brad, I lost a lot of time“.
Wasted opportunities for Aprilia and Aleix Espargarò
The quarrels for the driver from Noale did not end there, because in the final he also had to deal with the attempts of attack by Franco Morbidelliaccording to him too aggressive: “Morbidelli hit me twice in the final laps. I don’t know if he was looking for a contract for next year, but he hit me twice“, He complained sarcastically. “Really incredible and incomprehensible. He did not receive a long lap penalty. Okay because these are the races, but I don’t understand my punishment“.
Despite everything Aleix Espargarò managed to earn points on the champion Quartararo and will have to fight for it in the last three races. 20 points is an easily bridged gap, but how much bitterness for having wasted two delicious opportunities in Japan and Thailand. “Fabio remains the rider to beat, but there are also three Ducati riders who can win the title. It won’t be easy for them to deal with the whole thing. I hope that in the future Aprilia can fight for the title with three riders“.
In the final sprint anything can happen, but on Sunday there will be a weekend of rest and all the riders will be able to return home waiting for the next one. Australian Grand Prix scheduled from 14 to 16 October. “I am very motivated because in the last two races I have had a lot of bad luck – concluded the Catalan from the Aprilia team -. Despite everything I have earned points and now we leave for Australia and Malaysia, we will have fun“.
