MotoGP: Aleix Espargaro hoping for top 10 return at Aragon

When Aleix Espargaro jumped on the Aprilia last year and took a 6th place in the opening race of the season in Qatar, everyone – including me – thought that he’d be a podium man and that he could take the Aprilia to new highs. We are in 2018 and the bike has had just one top ten result compared to the five that it had achieved last year at the same point.

Those statistics paint a gloomy picture but Aleix Espargaro’s determined attitude suggests that he and the Aprilia Gresini Racing team may well be on for a return to the top ten at Motorland Aragon this coming weekend. It is a circuit where both machine and rider have had good results before too – both in wet and dry conditions.

In 2014, a late-race dodgy rain shower led to Aleix Espargaro mounting the podium for the Forward Racing team, whilst Aprilia have had top ten results there for the last two seasons – a best of 6th last year for Aleix Espargaro and just under four seconds from the podium.

“Last year I was very competitive in Aragón. Repeating that performance will not be easy. The championship level has gone up incredibly and we need to continue working non-stop to close the gap behind the leaders. The Misano tests were truly important. I hope to take another step forward and to be able to battle consistently in the top 10.”

With weather set to be dry, it may well be a case of trying to push into the top ten rather than being absolutely certain of securing it. On the contrary, the Aprilia has gone well at a dry and hot Aragon in the past couple of seasons and with the Movistar Yamahas seemingly all at see, it may be easier to break into the top ten than years gone by.