Aleix Espargaro says the deficit Aprilia has against Ducati over the course of a grand prix distance in MotoGP is “shocking” in 2024ꦍ.

After a strong start to the cu💟rrent campaign, wi🐻th Maverick Vinales winning the Americas Grand Prix, Aprilia has found itself struggling for strong results in Sunday races.

The RS-GP remains quick i🐷n qualifying trim and is a regular to the podium in sprint races still - with Espargaro third in the previo🅠us two Saturday contests.

But ove🦋r the course of a grand prix, the Aprilia struggles to preserve its re🔯ar tyre relative to the Ducati and has found itself tumbling backwards in Sunday races.

In Austria, top Aprilia was 21.206s off the race le🃏ader, while in Britain it was 9.514s adrift.

This weekend’s Aragon GP represents a good opportunity for Aprilia to fight for the podium, having been strong at the circuit even during its uncompetitive years with the ꦬRS-GP.

On Mot♉oGP’s last visit to Aragon, Espargaro was third behind F💝rancesco Bagnaia and race winner Enea Bastianini.

How♉ever, while he sees potential for a good result, he noted that Aprilia’s strong point in the 2022 Aragon GP is the area it♎ is now struggling the most with.

“I would love to be positive, but I don’t have reﷺ🌠ally a lot of arguments,” he said when asked on Thursday at Aragon if Aprilia can have a good weekend.

“We are working hard. The last time we raced here our strongest point was the second part of the race, but this year we still are not able to u𓂃nderstand why - we are working in it - in the second part of the race we destroy the tyre more.

“Ducati, it’s unbelievable how fast 🦄they can be in the second part of the race and we cannot.

“So, we are fast in the qualifying, fast in the sprint, but unfortunately we are missin𓆉g the last laps of the Sunday race. So, hopefully we can understand something this weekend.”

Espargaro added: “Hopefully also Sunday [we can fi🌱ght for a podium].

“I will try my best. The last two sprints we were fighting 🍬and finished on the podium.

“Hopefully her🧸e we can do the same. We know we can be fast on the soft tyre, but for me and the team it’s really important to understand ཧwhat we are missing for the Sunday.

“It’s really shocking to arrive on Sunday with similar pace to the top guys and then finish 10 seconds [behind] in the end of t🌠he race.

“We have to work hard, we have to understand why. But yes, this is a good opportunity. This is a good track for Aprilia🤡 and for myself.”