MotoGP Americas, Austin: Aleix Espargaro falls after ride-height glitch: ‘They need to solve it, Raul had the same problem’
Unlike team-mate Maver👍ick Vinales, Espargaro got a strong start and was bಌattling for third into the turn one hairpin.
But his race was doomed when the ride-height device on his factory Apriliꦛa failed to unlock.
The Spaniard contin🐽ued to Tur𒉰n 11, when the lack of front-end weight saw him slide into retirement.
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“I did a good start, I was P3 in Turn 1, and when I accelerated I felt that the rear r🥀ide-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 with the bike low, I lost the front.
“Noth꧃ing more I can say. It looks lꦅike Raul had the same problem today.”
Fernan꧟dez would only say he had suffered a ”mechanical problem” but the TV images seemed to confirm a ride-height issue.
Esღpargaro added: “They [Aprilia] need to solve it. It's not the first time it happened to us… Normally it happens when it's super hot, but yesterday 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 had frustrating🎀ly slipped away.
“If the crash had happened on a different track, I won’t say that I would have been less angry, but it clea♛rly would have been spec♔ial for me to take a spot on the podium here that was well within our potential,” Espargaro said.
“After all the di💙fficulties that we have always found at COTA, this weekend I demonstrated 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 disappointing, especially because I’m certain that I’m r🔯iding better than last year, but for one reason or another, we are not taking home the results we deserve,” he said.
“Hopefully, we’ll reverse this trend as early as Jerez becausไe our potential is clear.”
Vinales fought back to🔴 four✃th place after dropping to tenth on the opening lap.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story ♑and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
