Aleix Espargaró urges Aprilia to forget Motegi

Espargaró still believes in the World Championship

Aleix Espargaró overcame the frustration of the Japanese Grand Prix: “I was quite sad, not angry, about Sunday. Afterwards, I went to Tokyo and then had dinner with the team and everyone. I love them and they were even more disappointed. I am the leader of that team. I said, ‘Head up and let’s go.’ ”

The Aprilia rider encouraged his team to forget about that mistake: “We were talking internally, although we didn’t talk about the problem that occurred, it will never happen again. We used it to understand where we can improve and revise procedures. It is not as simple as it seems. I was telling them that it is a human error, that it can happen, that it is racing. Let’s forget about it.”

The Spanish centaur still feels alive in MotoGP: “I was angry after the race, not only because of the mistake but also because of how the race went. It is very strange that they fought for eighth place when normally they are up there. It was an opportunity to cut points, but we would never have known that. Twenty-five points is not that much. The level is very high. In the past, the leader could finish third or fourth; now you can finish tenth. Everything is open, and I still believe in my chances.”

Finally, a thought on the upcoming Thai Grand Prix: “I don’t remember 2019. In 2019 I didn’t like any circuit. The Aprilia now has nothing to do, I hope it’s dry, but in the wet, surprisingly, I was quite fast in Japan. If so, it can be an opportunity, things can happen.”

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