The Catalan will start in the second row, along with Quartararo who only surpassed him by 28 thousandths and ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia, the other great favorite for the title
The ‘pole’ went to Johann Zarco, double Moto2 champion, who will seek his first victory in the premier class
Yes, today the MotoGP World Championship could have virtually ended. Yesterday, at 1:34 p.m. in England, you know, one hour less in Spain, Aleix Espargaró, the hero of this season, jumped into the air, catapulted by his lavish Aprilia, at almost 200 km/h., in turn 12 of the Silverstone track, and landed on the hard asphalt, almost on his feet.
Today, when there were still 22 minutes 58 seconds left to finish the decisive training session, the so-called FP4, the one in which drivers and teams test everything they will put into the race, the eldest of the Espargaró, 33 years old, was hit luckily not! he broke it! the calcaneus of his right foot.
Yesterday, when the positions of today’s grid began to be decided (2:00 p.m., DAZN and Movistar), the pursuer of Fabio Quartararo, champion and leader of MotoGP, kept the championship alive by a miracle and hopes to reduce today, yes, yes, today , the 21 points that separate him from the ‘Devil’.
Yesterday, yes, Quartararo was about to start decorating the window of his house with a second title. Now, he must continue fighting it. “I never pay attention to others. I know that if I am a champion it is because of my merits, because he fought in every race to win. It is evident that, now, I am watching my friend Aleix more than ever, because he is having a great season, but here, at Silverstone, Despite the sanction I have to serve, I will go out to win and I will not think about the championship. There is too much left and, yes, I wish Aleix the best & rdquor ;, Quartararo said.
Needless to say, Quartararo does not believe the punishment he must meet in the first three laps is comparable (he will have to lengthen his trajectory in one of the Silverstone curves, tracing it along a parallel road, while the others continue on the track and “I will lose more, much more, than a second”) to Espargaró’s injury. In fact, Aleix, who today, in the end, has not made any statements since he underwent a long treatment in the circuit’s mobile clinic, returned to the ‘boxe’, took his second bike and did a record lap to get into the second row out, precisely next to Fabio, who only surpassed him by 28 thousandths and ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia, the other great favorite for the title.
Let’s see, the fact is that the World Cup returns, after a long month of vacation, hot, hot. There are nine races and 225 points at stake. And today, up front, six guys start with a hunger for victory. The ‘pole’ was of Johann Zarco, 32 years old, double Moto2 champion, who will seek his first victory in MotoGP. “It must come now! I’m deserving it & rdquor ;.
At his side, the best of the best Maverick Viñales, who knows that, now yes, he will soon receive the award for his refoundation: “This is a world that goes at 350 km/h, but only by working serenely and slowly can you aspire to success . This is a great opportunity and I’m going to go for it, but I want everything to come out naturally, without forcing, without absurd accelerations & rdquor ;. Complete the first row, Miller, who wants to say goodbye to Ducati (next year he returns to KTM, like Pol Espargaró) with another victory.
And, in the second row, I don’t even tell you: the three real candidates for the title. The ‘Devil’, who asks the race management to mark “the punishment lap & rdquor; as late as possible, i.e. from the third turn, “This will give me time to escape a bit or to open up the platoon., so that, when I return to the track, I have enough space not to get into trouble & rdquor ;. But, I repeat, nothing to conserve, comes out to win.
MotoGP on DAZN available live and on demand. Subscribe and start your free month
Beside him, in the center, an irregular Bagnaia, who has just heard his bosses say that, hopefully, next year, Àlex Márquez, who will ride for Ducati, “will tell his brother Marc wonders about his ‘Desmosedici’&rdquor ; to be able to sign it. So ‘Pecco’ wants to vindicate himself in front of those who think (well, that’s what the entire ‘paddock’ thinks), that MM93 is much better than him.
And, completing that second row of title sniffers, will be Aleix Espargaró, improved, it is assumed, from his tremendous blow (“I am afraid that tonight he will get more blows & rdquor ;, said Dr. Ángel Charte, guardian angel of the pilots ), winner in Argentina and with five podiums in 11 races. I repeat, finally, he did not speak to the press, but it is certain that he would have said that he will go out and give everything, because he cannot waste a single opportunity to get close to the ‘Devil’.
As his partner Viñales says, “Aleix is in chase modehe has nothing to lose, he has to go to all of them, like me, like all Aprilias”.