MotoGP Americas, Austin: Aleix Espargaro falls after ride-height glitch: ‘They need to solve it, Raul had the same problem’

After celebrating his best COTA MotoGP result with fourth in the Sprint, Aleix Espargaro’s Sunday race was over on the opening lap.
Aleix Espargaro , MotoGP race, Grand Prix Of The Americas, 16 April
Aleix Espargaro , MotoGP race, Grand Prix Of The Americas, 16 April

Unlike team-mate Maverick Vinales, Esparga💎ro go♕t a strong start and was battling for third into the turn one hairpin.

♎But his race was doomed when the ride-height device on his factory Aprilia failed to unloc꧙k.

Thꦰe Spaniard continued to Turn 11, when the lack of front-end weight saw🌳 him slide into retirement.

 

“I did a good start, I was P3 in Turn 1, and when I accelerated I felt that the 👍rear𓃲 ride-height device stayed low,” Espargaro explained.

💫“I did all the first part of the track with the ride-height device low, and when I touched the throttle in Turn 12 wi🍌th the bike low, I lost the front.

“Nothing more I can say. It looks like Ra🦩ul had the same problem today.”

Fernandez wou꧋ld only say he had suffered a ”mechanical problem” but the TV images seemed to confirm a ride-height issue.

Espargaro added: “They [Aprilia] need to solve it. It's not the first time it hꦓappened to us… Normally it happens when it's super hot, but yesterd✤ay it didn't happen, so we are not in control of when and how.”

The end result was that Espargaro, who only lost out on a Sprint rostrum when Jorge Martin successfully retaliated against his last-lap pass, felt a podium finish at his most difficult track haꦿd frustratingly slipped away.

“If the crash had happened on a different track, I won’t say that I would have been less angry, but it cleಞarly would have been special for me to take a spot on the podium here that was well within our potential,” Espargaro said.

“After all the difficulties that we have always found at COTA, this weekend I demonstra🥃ted surprising potential.”

The Spaniard now heads for the first of his home rounds, 🔯at Jerez, just eleventh in the world championship.

“This season’s start has been d✱isappointing, especially because I’m certain that I’m riding better than last year, but for one reason or another, we are not taking home the results we deserve,” he said.

“Hope𓃲fully, we’ll reverse this trend as early as Jere♕z because our potential is clear.”

Vinales 🔯fought back to fourth place after dropping to tenth on the opening lap🐈.

Aleix: ‘Aprilia need to solve it, Raul had the same problem’

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