Aleix Espargaro: “I said to myself ‘they are over the limit’ - I was right”
“I said to myself ‘either crash or they will destroy the front and the rea🎀r tyre'"
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Aleix Espargaro insists he knew that his r꧃ivals 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 he won t🍬he sprint, after three riders had fallen o🍌ut of the lead.
Espargaro announced he will retire from MotoGP at the end of this season but his victory on Saturday on home turf was a reminder🐬 of his cunning.
Raul Fernan🦹dez, Brad Binder and Pecco Bagnaia were all l𝔉eading before crashing out but Espargaro saw it coming.
“I said on Thursday💞 that at 80% of the tracks you can go full gas,” Espargaro said afterwards. “But there are a few tracks where it’s not just about speed.
“I could have gone as fast as them, at thꦡ𒁃e beginning. After a bad start, I said to myself ‘they are over the limit’.
“Th﷽ey were using a lot of the front and the rear. I could see from behiꩵnd.
“I said to m💫yself ‘either crash or they will destroy the front and the r♕ear 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 who 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 ove♎rtake, I would have been over the l✱imit.
“So I said ‘wait for five laps’. When th🌸e grip dro⭕ps I would have the possibility to attack.
“I att🐽acked Jorge Martin, then Pedro Acosta, then everybody started to crash.
“Sometimes, to have experience, it pays off!”
Espargaro described the elation of winning at hi🍌s last-ever home round.
“Unbelievable. After a diffiꦛcult race where you are focused,” he said.
“When you ride at the limit 💧you don’t know if you are here💙, or in China. You are fully focused.
“You pick up the bike and realise you’re at your home circuit, on ♉the main straight, win﷽ning the race. I am super happy.”
The Aprilia rider’s confirmation this week that he will bring an end to h♏is career has relieved him of any expectation.
“I 🌞have 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 enjℱoyed it. I spoke to my wife, I saw my friends.”
Espargaro added: “It’s 𒁏a fairytale. I have no words.
“Pole🍸 position, winning ꦰthe sprint, all the people in the grandstands cheering for me…
“I could not dream of a better Thursday, Friday and Saturday atℱ my last home GP.”
James was a spor🐎ts journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
