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Pol Espargarò closed his Saturday in Assen with a twelfth position after passing through the Q1. The Spanish rider is trying to pull out everything he can from his KTM, but his physical conditions aren't helping him. Pol, in fact, fell in the Barcelona tests and hurt his wrist.
"I didn't ride like I wanted today," said Espargarò at the end of the qualifying session. "In the Q2, I really struggled because I started feeling pain in my hand during the warm-up lap. I knew I only had one lap available, but it wasn't enough."
Have you taken any painkillers or will you take them only tomorrow for the race?
"I took something light this morning and something stronger in the afternoon. "They helped me and, if the painkillers allow me to ride the bike for the whole race tomorrow, it would be incredible. This is what counts for me."
What race do you expect tomorrow?
"Lately, the races are quite slow due to the little grip that forces us to ride softer. It's something I usually hate," said Pol. "But for tomorrow, it's okay because it'll also be very hot, and I'm not at my best, physically. We'll see what my pace will be."
This is a tiring track, and one that would not be recommended for any rider who has just suffered an injury. In which parts of the circuit do you feel pain the most?
"The pain in my hand increases both in changes of direction and in fast right-hand corners. My goal for tomorrow," concluded Espargarò, "will be to brake the bike first and ride the KTM as if I were riding a Yamaha. It's the only way to finish the race."
Audio recorded by Paolo Scalera
