At the end of the ten laps of the Sprint Race at the Silverstone circuit, Aleix Espargaro didn't get beyond a third position, but his British Saturday will remain in the record books, thanks to the times he set in qualifying. A performance above expectations that allowed him to get his hands on the pole position.
"It was a very good day because it was one of my best performances in my career," the Aprilia rider admitted. "In the first attempt, I was just behind the factory Ducatis and already under the track record. But, when I saw 1'57"309, it was incredible. As for the race, I knew Martin would be explosive and would've stretched it out in the early stages. I was sure that I would catch up to him in the end, but Bastianini set a crazy pace, and there was nothing else I could do."
Speaking of the Pramac team's Spanish rider, his fellow countryman on the opposing team confided that he would've watched out for him: "I'm not saying I wouldn't have overtaken him if I had gotten the opportunity, but I would've done it differently. That's how I am. Others maybe behave differently. I probably didn't become a champion because of that. That's how it was when I was behind Pol, and now it's the same with Jorge. Let's say, if I had been superior, I would've passed him, otherwise, for the three sprint points on the last lap, I would've let it go."
Turning to the subject of tires, he then revealed that he had no alternative: "On the Aprilia, the medium doesn't work, so I mounted the hard. Only Oliveira tried it, and he almost fell off. With the soft in front in qualifying, I was flying. If I had used them in the race, I might have won. But, with 32°C, when I saw that only Marc's Ducati had it, I thought it might be a good idea for Sunday. I'm convinced that we did well to behave this way, because we'll be able to be more precise with the pressure and the setting. Can I win tomorrow? I think so, although Enea's pace today surprised me."
On the topic of the day, namely those who line up for a time attack, he confided: "I've caught someone's wheel sometimes, but I've always liked to go at my own pace. Some people repeat the maneuver every time, but if you want to improve, that's not the right method. If you go out last, you risk throwing everything away in case of a yellow flag. If you go first, everyone follows you. I'm for first. It's ridiculous to see others stop, as well as it being dangerous."
Then, on the new features brought by the Noale company, he said, "With the new aerodynamics, the bike is more agile and gentle when you open the throttle. I, however, didn't try the second evolution, because I had the winglets removed, but the other riders did."