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The bikes are stopped in the pits, the circuits are closed and so that means there is a lot of space available for video chats. In the last few hours Pol Espargarò has been talking with our Sky Sport colleagues, talking exclusively with Antonio Boselli. The Spaniard spoke about the current situation linked to the spread of COVID-19, which has changed the habits of each one of us.
Even the KTM rider is spending his life at home with his family: "I am a little scared - he said - here in Andorra the situation is quite under control, in Spain at the beginning it did not seem so serious. People underestimated the problem and were not prepared; even when we saw the news from Italy, we thought those containment measures were exaggerated. When the virus broke out in Spain, nobody was prepared. "
From his face transpires regret about the evolution of the situation in the Iberian Peninsula and at the same time the failure to start the world championship: "It is a pity because the KTM has improved so much, we have made a great step forward - he said - I was sure that when we raced in Europe, we would have been really strong. "
He was then asked what he thought of a possible restart: "It will be like starting everything from scratch - he added - now the KTM Racing Department is closed and we will resume work from where we left off".
In 2020 there is certainly no lack of expectation surrounding the Austrian company and at the same time Pol. The goal was in fact to leave behind a complicated 2019 season, during which there had even been rumours of the arrival of Gigi Dall’Igna:
“We all know that Gigi is not just a person who knows a lot about technique or about bikes - he underlined - he is smart, intelligent, always looking for new paths that others do not follow. All you have to do is look at what Ducati was like before him, and now with him, they have become winners. I'd like to have him with us for sure, but the staff we have in KTM is very strong, I'm very happy and we can do well with them too. "
Dall'Igna aside, the current situation is likely to have repercussions also on 2021, in particular regarding the renewal of contracts: "It is a complicated situation for those like me who do not have a contract for next year, we will finish the season very late and for the contract we will have to wait - he admitted - we all talk to all the teams, to understand what everyone's intentions are for next year. I have to say that my priority is to stay in KTM and see what results we will get, even though this is a crucial moment in my career. There are young guys like Quartararo coming up quickly and it is not easy to be in front with a bike that is not at the top ".
In MotoGP Pol Espargarò finds himself in some ways in the same situation as Marc Marquez, since both have a rival in their respective brother. The difference is that Aleix doesn't race for the same team as rookie Alex. The attention of the KTM rider is actually focussed on the new arrival in the premier class:
"It will be difficult for both of us, not just for Alex. He is in his first year on a difficult bike, in addition to all this he will race alongside his brother, who he knows very well of course, but there is a special rivalry with his brother - he analysed - I don't like to race with my brother in MotoGP, let alone in the same team, I wouldn't like that at all. And then his teammate is the strongest rider in the championship, it is a very difficult situation for Alex, but also for Marc, who would like to see his brother do well on the factory Honda. In my opinion it will be difficult to manage inside the garage, but they have a good boss like Alberto Puig who knows what to do. They will certainly do well, I am curious."
His last comment concerns the return of Jorge Lorenzo: “I think that the moment you retire, the decision must be a final one in order to change your life - he concluded - even if I don't know Lorenzo’s motivations, maybe he wanted to finish with Honda before them. For Yamaha it is a good one to have him as a tester. But for my retirement, I think I will do like Pedrosa, because it's a choice that must be final, especially if you do it in front of people. "
