VIÑALES IN EIGHTH, ESPARGARÓ SIXTEENTH AFTER A CONTACT. FERNÁNDEZ IN THE TOP TEN.
Sunday 20 October 2024
In the long race, Maverick Viñales, who began from third on the grid, lost a few positions early on because he was unable to get off to a great start. Despite battling for fourth place, the Spanish rider was forced to settle for eighth place at the end of the race.
Aleix Espargaró, meanwhile, started the lengthy race strong and gained a number of positions. But his entire performance was compromised and he ended up at the back of the field when a contact at the conclusion of the first lap destroyed his sidepod. Aleix was unable to rally and ended in sixteenth place, even though he maintained a speed comparable to the riders in the top ten.
Raúl Fernández's strong showing over the Australian race weekend, where he regularly placed in the top ten, was also remarkable. After finishing Q1, he was able to move up from sixth on the grid to sixth in the sprint and ninth in the long race.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
“The race went well, we made the most of the potential of the bike, but sadly it just wasn’t enough. My left arm was feeling better, but my back started to hurt. There was no physical limitation, we just couldn’t manage to get enough speed."
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
“I started really well, but unfortunately a contact on the first lap with Jack Miller as I was braking into the 10th corner broke the sidepod, putting me at the back of the pack. Making up ground from so far back is tricky, and of course it affects the outcome of the race. I tried to go as fast as I could; actually, my pace in some of the laps was pretty good. The breakage of the sidepod really didn't help, especially because it made the bike unstable.”
MASSIMO RIVOLA (CEO Aprilia Racing)
“This weekend, we've seen good speeds from the Aprilia bikes with both Maverick and Raúl. Again, the first lap was punishing, but the pace required to get closer to the podium was there. The terrible accident in the sprint, when Maverick was unexpectedly hit from behind at 300 km/h, blighted the weekend. Aleix started Friday a bit slow, which is unusual for him. It’s a shame we didn’t manage to get more points here in Australia. Now we’re heading to a track that will give us the opposite conditions, and on paper, they are less than favourable for us, but there’s no doubt that we’ll go with the attitude that we’re not giving up, and with the goal of closing the gap."
Saturday 19 October 2024: Sprint Race
Viñales lost a few spots on the first lap of the sprint, but he was still able to contend for the top five. However, the Spanish rider was rear-ended as he entered the first bend with two laps remaining, shortly after moving up to fifth place. Viñales had a bruise to his left elbow in the crash and was sent to the medical centre for examination. There were no reported fractures.
Aleix Espargaró had a rough qualifying campaign, finishing Q1 in 20th place. Nevertheless, he fought his way back to ninth position overall and showed remarkable effort in the sprint with a good race pace.
