Aleix Espargaro: “I said to myself ‘they are over the limit’ - I was right”
“I said to myself ‘either crash or they will destro🐬y the front and 🦂the rear tyre'"
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Aleix Espargaro insists he knew 🍒that his rivals were riding over the limit before they crashed out of the sprint race in Barcelona.
Espargaro’s dream weekend at the Catalunya MotoGP continued on Saturday when he𝓀 won the sprint, after three riders had fallen out of the lead.
Espargaro announced he will retire from MotoGP at the end o𓃲f this season but his victory on Saturday on home turf was a reminder of his cunning.
Raul Fernandez, Brad Binder and Pecco Bagnaia were all leading before crashing out but Espargaro saw it co♉ming.
“I said on Thursday that at 80% of the tracks you can go full gas,” Espargaro s♓aid after😼wards. “But there are a few tracks where it’s not just about speed.
“I could ꦇhave gone as fast🍨 as them, at the beginning. After a bad start, I said to myself ‘they are over the limit’.
“They were using a lot of the front and the r🔥ear. I could see from behind.
“I said to myself ‘either crash or they will destro🍌y the front and the rear tyre so you will have options at the end’.
“I was right.
“I was trying not to overtake. I could maintain their pace. I analysed everybody’s pace - I was the only one whꦿo proved I could go under 39.5 for a couple of laps. They were doing that lap which means they were over the limit.
“If I tried to overtake, I would ha♉ve been over the limit.
“So I sai🧸d ‘wait for five laps’. When the grip drops I would have the p🦩ossibility to attack.
“I attacked Jorge Martin, then 🤪Pedro Acosta, then everybody started to crash.
“Sometimes, to have experience, it pays off!”
Espargaro described the elation of winning at his last-ever h✨ome round.
“Unbelievable. After a difficult race wh♍ere you are focus🐈ed,” he said.
“When you ride at the lꦆimit you don’t know if you are here, or in China. You are fully focused💜.
“You pick up the bike and realise yജou’re at your home circuit, on the main straight, winning the 🌃race. I am super happy.”
The꧋ Aprilia rider’s confirmation this week that he will bring an end to his career has relieved him of any expectation.
“I hꦛave no pressure,” he said. “I have a contract until the 🦋end, then after Valencia, I will go home. I will try to have fun, to smile.
“I never enjoy the grid. It is the worst moment of the weekend. I never enjoy it. Today I enjoyed i🔜t. I spoke to my wife, I s𝔍aw my friends.”
Espargaro added: “It’s a f🐠airytale. I have no words.
“Pole po💫sition, winn♉ing the sprint, all the people in the grandstands cheering for me…
“I could not dream of a better Thur🍌sday, Friday and Saturday at my last home GP.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everyt🗹hing from American sports, to football, to𓆏 F1.
