Метка: British GP

Aprilia CEO admits «we are doing something wrong» in MotoGP after poor form

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola admits the manufacturer is “doing something wrong” in MotoGP after watching it slip away from Ducati in the pecking order in recent races.

Aprilia has gone from regularly challenging MotoGP’s dominant marque to being only an occasional top-five scorer in a span of just four months, with last weekend’s British Grand Prix perfectly capturing its remarkable downfall from the highs of a sprint win at Portimao and a sprint and grand prix double victory in Austin in April.

At Silverstone, factory rider Aleix Espargaro tumbled from pole to a distant sixth at the chequered flag, while team-mate Maverick Vinales had an even more bruising race en route to 13th place in the lower reaches of the points.

It prompted Americas GP winner Vinales to say it is Aprilia which has made a step backwards in MotoGP, rather than Ducati making a big jump forward with its GP24 bike.

Now, Rivola has joined Vinales to criticise the Noale-based brand for its recent results in MotoGP, having only celebrated an impressive grand prix victory at Silverstone 12 months ago as part of its ascent up the field.

«If we go and see, at Silverstone we were 40 seconds faster than last year, which is an eternity, but we took 10 seconds from first [place],” he told Sky Sport Italy.

Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO

Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“Then it is true that we are 2.5s from Pecco [Bagnaia of Ducati], but this is a track where Aprilia has always gone fast. We’ve only shown that in terms of overall performance.

“We’re doing something wrong. Or rather, Ducati is doing something particularly well, especially since we got back to racing on European tracks. I know they used a test at Barcelona, which is a track with little grip, to make a leap forward. They did well.”

One of the biggest strengths of the Ducati this year has been its ability to extract the maximum performance from Michelin’s new 2024 tyres, while also keeping degradation to a minimum for the final stretch of the race.

Conversely, Aprilia has been struggling with heavy tyre wear on the RS-GP in 2024, with Espargaro having to fit a hard compound on the rear of his bike at Silverstone and Vinales complaining that his tyre was ‘gone after just six laps’.

Speaking in response, Rivola said that Aprilia needs to devote a greater part of the race weekend towards understanding Michelin tyres, with Espargaro and Vinales particularly struggling in the longer Sunday races.

«Since we have been back in Europe, an Aprilia on the front row is often there. It defends itself quite well in the sprint, but in the long race, from the middle onwards we are not competitive enough,” he lamented.

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«There is a performance management issue related to tyre wear. We definitely need to focus on that, maybe even in the planning of the weekend, even at the risk of going through Q1 sometimes.

«We probably need more information as early as Friday. As we put the bike on the track we are immediately quick, but we tend to stall mainly on the tyre issue. I think there is more of a set-up theme, mechanical and electronic.

«And the format of how we manage the weekend. Maybe trying to take the tyre further in wear, look for those things that make a difference.»

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Yamaha testing «way too many things» on MotoGP weekends

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Fabio Quartararo has expressed his frustration over Yamaha testing «way too many things» on its bike during MotoGP race weekends in 2024.

The Japanese manufacturer is undertaking an extensive development programme to drag itself out of its current slump, experimenting with a wide range of new parts for the M1.

Having been given a number of advantages under MotoGP’s new concession system, Yamaha is also trialling new bits and pieces during grands prix after running them first in private testing.

However, 2021 champion Quartararo believes this approach is turning out to be counterproductive, as he is constantly having to test different specifications of the bike without getting enough time to properly evaluate them.

«Just before the sprint we were trying way too many things, [going from] one bike to another and I was going to qualifying without any reference,» he said.

«With one bike I had to ride in one way, with the other one in another way. So I was completely lost.

«We are already struggling much more than usual, but I was really lost. I said I want to have a base that I know more or less and in the sprint it was much better. Still not very good but at least we finished not super far from Jack [Miller].»

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

For Quartararo, the problem is not the excessive number of new developments that he has to test, but how fundamentally different one bike is from another, complicating his job at a time when he is also supposed to be working on pure performance.

As an example, the Frenchman revealed that he had to constantly switch between one M1 that was heavy but had better stopping performance and another bike that was lighter but didn’t stop as well during the British Grand Prix.

«It’s not too many new items, it’s too many different bikes in every single run,» he explained. «I do four laps, change of bike, [another] four laps, change of bike.

«[We do] time attack, but with which bike? So it’s complicated.

«Two years ago we had the same bike [all year]. Even last year at the end of the season we knew the bike was not the same, but we kept our base and it’s me putting the bike to the extreme limit.

«Right now, we can’t really do it because I have no idea where the limit of the bike is.»

Quartararo explained Yamaha’s rationale behind its rapid development rate, saying new parts usually offer either improved performance or help fix issues on the existing bike.

However, that hasn’t always been the case for Yamaha this year, and his work on race weekends makes him feel more like a test rider in 2024.

«It’s too much but you know sometimes you expect things to be better and not to be worse,» he said. «Or say sometimes we have new items and we expect them to be much better.

«Sometimes the one that you expect the most [from] is the one that doesn’t really bring some positives.

«Right now, I think I was more like a test rider than [a race] rider during the last races.

«At the moment I prefer to also focus a little bit more on trying to be as fast as possible because it has been a long time that I’m not using the same bike for two days in a row.»

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Bastianini doesn’t consider himself in MotoGP title fight despite Silverstone double

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Factory Ducati rider Enea Bastianini says he doesn’t consider himself a contender in the 2024 MotoGP title battle despite scoring a double victory in the British Grand Prix last weekend.

Bastianini pulled off his best performance in years to win both the sprint and the main race at Silverstone, comfortably outgunning team-mate Francesco Bagnaia and Pramac rival Jorge Martin.

The result elevated him ahead of Gresini’s Marc Marquez and into third place in the title standings, just 49 points behind championship leader Martin with 370 points on offer in the second half of the campaign.

However, the Italian doesn’t think he will be fighting for the championship this year, as he feels he lacks the consistency required to mount a sustained title challenge.

“For the moment, I don’t think I’m a title contender because Pecco and Jorge have demonstrated more constant [speed] compared to me in every race. These two riders are on top,” said the 26-year-old, who has now won six grands prix in his MotoGP career.

“With me, sometimes I felt something [lacking] or I’m behind [them on track]. If I want to be a title contender, I have to improve in that direction.

“[The Silverstone win] is a good point of start, but I want to continue like this for the rest of the championship. If at the end of the championship I have this opportunity, [then] let’s see what happens.”

Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team

Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Martin and Bagnaia have indeed been more regularly running at the front than Bastianini in the opening half of the season.

Counting only the grands prix where he reached the finish, Martin stood on the podium in all but one race — the Americas GP in April. The story is similar for Bagnaia, who finished fifth at the Austin event but was on the rostrum at every other event where he saw the chequered flag.

Bastianini, on the other hand, managed just four podiums from nine races prior to his maiden victory of the year at Silverstone.

However, Bagnaia thinks his team-mate could still make it a three-way fight for the 2024 title, believing the success in Britain could spur him on in the final 10 rounds of the year.

“He was always in the fight,” said the two-time champion. “He just needs to be more constant and this result can give him the motivation to always be at this level.

“It’s normal that he will be fighting for the championship until the last races. He is very fast, he is very good on used tyres. We always have to think about him [in the title battle].”

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Ducati directly signs di Giannantonio for 2025 VR46 MotoGP seat

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Fabio di Giannantonio has agreed a contract directly with Ducati to race for the VR46 team in MotoGP next year.

As revealed by Motorsport.com last month, di Giannantonio has signed a two-year deal that will see him continue at Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP squad until the end of the current regulations in 2026.

He will be one of the only three riders on the 2025 grid to compete with the factory-spec GP25 on the back of his impressive performances so far with a year-old bike.

The 25-year-old had received an offer from Yamaha to race with its new satellite team Pramac, but has chosen to remain in Ducati’s stable after making his debut with the Borgo Panigale marque in 2022.

The news marks an impressive turnaround for di Giannantonio, whose future in MotoGP was at risk at the end of last year after six-time champion Marc Marquez took his seat at Gresini.

The Italian then found reprieve at VR46 and has put in a series of strong results since then to move up to eighth in the riders’ standings, three places ahead of team-mate and three-time grand prix winner Marco Bezzecchi.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«Being able to sign this contract was significant for me, and I am proud of it,” he said.

“I will be part of the Ducati family for two years and continue with my VR46 Racing Team. This represents a milestone and a significant starting point for my sporting growth. With Ducati’s support and having an official bike, we can continue to grow and achieve great things together. 

“I want to thank Ducati for its trust, Claudio, Gigi, Mauro, and the VR46 Racing Team that believed in me last year during a difficult moment. So, a big thank you also to Vale, Uccio, Pablo, all the team members, and my staff because this whole journey would never have been possible without them.»

VR46 takes over from Pramac as Ducati’s sole factory-supported team next year, and will get increased technical backing from the manufacturer as a result.

However, while VR46 wanted to get two of the latest GP25s from the factory next year, it will receive only one bike with the newest equipment in 2025 as part of a downsizing exercise from Ducati.

The team is expected to sign current Pramac rider Franco Morbidelli to replace Aprilia-bound Bezzecchi next year, as revealed by Ducati boss Davide Tardozzi at Silverstone.

Morbidelli will remain on his current GP24 bike in 2025.

Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna said: «We are happy to have Fabio Di Giannantonio among our Ducati riders for the next two years. 

“Diggia has always shown great confidence in our project, and his dedication and talent have led him to grow steadily in MotoGP. 

“We are confident that together with the VR46 Racing Team and having an official Desmosedici GP, he will have even more opportunities to bring out his full potential. Welcome officially to the Ducati family, Fabio!»

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Yamaha in talks to sign Fernandez to bolster MotoGP test team in 2025

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Yamaha is holding dialogue with Tech3 outcast Augusto Fernandez to add him to an expanded MotoGP test team in 2025, Motosport.com can reveal.

The Japanese marque has been speeding up the development of its MotoGP bike in order to bridge the gap to its European rivals and especially Ducati, which is increasingly pulling away from the rest of the competitors.

First, it recruited a whole host of engineers and technicians from the Borgo Panigale marque, and then convinced 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo to sign a new multi-year contract through to 2026.

Having since added Pramac as a satellite team from 2025 in order to field four bikes on the grid, it has now turned its attention to the test team, which has been held back this year by the injury of Cal Crutchlow.

The British rider has been out of action for quite a while due to pain in his hand, which required surgery to fix, limiting Yamaha’s potential to make the most out of MotoGP’s new concession system.

Crutchlow was also forced to miss his home grand prix last week, which he had been due to compete in as a wildcard, dealing an additional blow to Yamaha’s hopes.

This has prompted the manufacturer to look for a second rider within its test team who could work alongside veteran Crutchlow next year.

«We want to strengthen the test team and sign a rider, but we are not thinking about a veteran or a retired rider. We want a young man who wants to do a lot of laps and we can make the most of the testing that the concessions allow us,” Maio Meregalli, Yamaha’s sporting director, told Motorsport.com at Silverstone.

«That does not mean that we will not have Crutchlow, who will continue to be part of the team and will return to action when he recovers.”

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Factory Racing

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Yamaha’s first option is believed to be the young Remy Garnder, who competes with the Iwata-based brand in the World Superbike Championship and replaced Crutchlow as its wildcard entrant in the British GP.

He ended up substituting for full-timer Alex Rins after the Spaniard withdrew from the weekend due to lingering injuries from his crash in the Dutch GP at the end of June.

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The problem is that the Australian is not much in favour of becoming a full-time test rider, although Yamaha has not completely ruled out undergoing further negotiations with him in order to convince him for that role.

While a final decision is awaited on Gardner, the Japanese marque has revealed that it is also holding conversations with 2022 Moto2 champion Fernandez, who is currently in the second season with the GasGas-branded Tech3 team in MotoGP.

Having not been retained by the wider KTM group, the Spaniard does not have a place on the 2025 grid, and his options in WSBK are also limited.

Yamaha is understood to have offered him the chance to remain in the MotoGP paddock next year as a test rider — an opportunity that could include five-to-six wildcard outings depending upon Crutchlow’s recovery.

Fernandez, 26, himself admitted that he was holding dialogue with Yamaha about a testing role for 2025.

«We are talking to them. If nothing appears in this paddock or in SBK, which is difficult, it is a good exit for me,” he told Motorsport.com. “I’m always thinking about an opportunity to grow as a rider to return to a full-time team in the future.”



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Aprilia’s situation getting «worse and worse» in MotoGP

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Maverick Vinales says Aprilia’s situation in MotoGP is getting «worse and worse» with every round after a disastrous run for him in the British Grand Prix.

Struggling with heavy degradation on medium tyres on his RS-GP, Americas GP winner Vinales slid from eighth on the grid to a measly 13th place, his worst result of the 2024 season.

His team-mate Aleix Espargaro dropped from pole position to finish sixth in Britain, almost 10 seconds down on race winner Enea Bastianini on the factory Ducati.

Aprilia’s poor showing last weekend was made to look worse by the fact Espargaro had won the race exactly 12 months ago, while the RS-GP had also looked rapid in the early part of the year with both its factory riders at the wheel.

The decline in Aprilia’s form in recent races is a matter of concern for Vinales, who urged the Noale-based marque to find a solution to reverse its fortunes in MotoGP.

«It’s difficult to accept the result. Honestly, it’s not what we are looking for,» he said. «We need to understand that there is something missing because the degradation of the rear tyres is not even normal, so we must understand why in the last four races we haven’t been at the level we need to be in.

«The tyre after six laps was completely gone. I passed from 1m59s to 2m01s. So we need to understand what is causing this tyre consumption because I never pass the speed limit in all the race trying to control [the pace].

Maverick Vinales, Aprilia Racing Team

Maverick Vinales, Aprilia Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«It’s true that in the sprint sometimes I was able to fight, but as soon as we put the medium tyre on [in the race], we were really just trying to cruise and [we were] not really really strong.

«So it’s important for the factory to try to stop a little bit and think how we can reverse this situation because it’s getting worse and worse. We need to see how to get up again.»

Sunday’s race at Silverstone saw Ducati sweep the top five positions as it extended its advantage over its rivals in MotoGP. Espargaro and Tech3’s Pedro Acosta were the only non-Ducati riders to finish inside the top 10 in the British GP, highlighting just how far ahead the Borgo Panigale marque is at present.

However, Vinales believes the result is more an indicator of Aprilia moving backwards in the pecking order rather than Ducati making a big leap with its Desmosedici bikes, as he highlighted RS-GP’s trait of eating its tyres too quickly

«It seems that somehow we lost quite the way to be competitive,» said the Spaniard, who remains the only rider to beat Ducati to a grand prix victory in 2024.

«I don’t think Ducati improved, we lower[ed] the potential and we need to get back again.

«I’m trying to understand what we are missing but to be honest it’s hard because I’m riding the bike on the limit, but the lap time and the way we are treating the tyres is wrong.»

Vinales also pointed to a drop in his own pace on the Aprilia, stressing how he was slower in this year’s British GP qualifying compared to 2022, when he qualified on the front row.

However, while his own team-mate Espargaro broke the Silverstone lap record in qualifying, it must be noted that MotoGP moved back to the Formula 1 layout in 2023, with the lap now starting at the Hamilton Straight adjacent to the Silverstone Wing.

«It’s hard to say but I don’t think they [Ducati] did a big step, to be honest, it’s just we slowed down,» he said.

«I’m not riding the fastest I can ride. We got down in our level because in ’22 I did 57.7 [actually 1m57.865] in the quali and this year I did a 58.1 and then crashed, so this is not normal.

«For sure we are slowing down and we need to regain that potential that we had in the initial part of the year. We need to see how, I don’t know why, but we need to see how.»

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How Ducati’s present and future has been muddied by Marquez MotoGP signing

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Sunday’s British Grand Prix gave Ducati plenty of reasons to rejoice as Enea Bastianini led an incredible 1-2-3-4-5 result for the Italian manufacturer. All its eight bikes finished inside the top 10 for only the second time in history, with the highest-non-Desmosedici rider ending up almost 10 seconds off the pace.

But while there was a mood of celebration inside the Ducati camp, its bosses would have been all too aware that they now have a big problem to deal with in the second half of the season. While the outcome of manufacturers’ and teams’ championships is already a given, the fight for the riders’ fight is wide open — and only one contender will continue with Ducati next year.

Bastianini’s double success at Silverstone propelled him to third in the standings, 49 points behind new championship leader Jorge Martin after the Pramac rider finished second on Sunday. While 26-year-old Bastianini has been playing down his prospects of a title challenge, it will only take a few more performances like last weekend for the outgoing Ducati factory rider to have an impact on the championship’s destiny — and that’s where things could get complicated for the Italian manufacturer.

The 2024 championship is currently finely poised between Bastianini’s team-mate Francesco Bagnaia and Martin, with only three points separating them at the top of the table. After Martin’s Sachsenring crash from the lead, many were quick to write him off from the fight, citing his fall as an example of him cracking under pressure.

But the events of Silverstone proved all that talk of Martin playing second fiddle to his Ducati stablemate was premature, and even Bagnaia is not immune to making unforced errors. After all, we have seen him give away big results multiple times in his career, including in the first part of 2024.

The odds are still against Martin with half the season still to go, but he has definitely got what it takes to mount a serious title challenge. Equally, while Bagnaia may have been off-colour at Silverstone, he will be back next time out in Austria, a track where he scored a double win from pole last year.

A fall from Bagnaia in the sprint showed he's not immune to the errors that have hindered Martin

A fall from Bagnaia in the sprint showed he’s not immune to the errors that have hindered Martin

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Martin and Bagnaia’s close battle, and Bastianini’s onslaught from third, put Ducati in a predicament now that the championship is back after the summer break. There is no denying that the Borgo Panigale marque is beginning to place all its weight behind its protege Bagnaia; the possibility of Martin winning the title and taking the #1 plate to Aprilia would simply be unacceptable to Ducati.

Bastianini actually did Bagnaia a favour at Silverstone by preventing Martin from dealing an even bigger blow to him in the points table. But at any other race, Bastianini may end up taking points off Bagnaia and allowing Martin to extend his advantage.

Consider a situation where Martin is leading the race and Bagnaia is sitting third, with Bastianini separating him. In the first part of the season, Martin and Bagnaia were usually left to squabble among themselves as they remained in a class of their own, but Bastianini’s improved form has now added another dimension to their championship fight.

In the absence of team orders, it seems fanciful that he would voluntarily give up a potential win just to please an employer that didn’t consider him for a third term at the factory team

Ducati will be hoping that there is no third person at play during the title run-in, but what would happen if Bastianini is standing in the way of Bagnaia winning a third straight crown in Valencia? Until now, Ducati has maintained that it won’t impose any team or manufacturer orders in MotoGP. Instead, it has opted for a softer route by simply asking its riders to behave sensibly on track.

It’s definitely the right approach to employ and keeps things fair on track, but it’s also true that Ducati doesn’t exactly have any other option. With Bastianini leaving for Tech3 after four seasons within its fold, Ducati cannot possibly expect him to comply with any order to move aside and cede to Bagnaia.

Even if Bastianini’s title challenge never materialises due to a lack of consistency, he would like to go for individual race wins in the final 10 races and end his Ducati career on a high. After all, he is currently on the fastest bike in MotoGP and the KTM project he is joining next year is in the midst of a major overhaul.

While his relationship with Ducati didn’t break down in the same manner as Martin’s over its U-turn to sign Marc Marquez, Bastianini is well aware that his bosses didn’t give him enough time to show what he is capable of after injuries blighted his 2023 campaign. In the absence of team orders, it seems fanciful that he would voluntarily give up a potential win just to please an employer that didn’t consider him for a third term at the factory team.

Bastianini may not be inclined to heed team orders if Bagnaia is behind him in upcoming races

Bastianini may not be inclined to heed team orders if Bagnaia is behind him in upcoming races

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

So how does Ducati manage this situation? In signing Marquez, it has given up on two top riders in Martin and Bastianini, as well as its long-standing satellite team Pramac. This means it is effectively left with just one horse in this year’s title fight, while still having a responsibility towards Bastianini and Martin, who have spent their entire premier-class careers with the marque.

It’s a tricky situation to be in and Ducati needs to figure out how to manage its riders in the final 10 rounds of the season. While it can’t take a step that would directly impact the fortunes of Martin, or Bastianini for that matter, it must be aware that it now needs to put Bagnaia’s interests at its centre.

Ducati can only hope that Bagnaia will be able to repeat the form that allowed him to overturn a 39-point deficit in a matter of weeks before the summer break, while also cutting down on the kind of errors that made his life tough in each of his title-winning campaigns so far.

After all, there is a lot more at stake than the biggest prize in motorcycle racing. Having produced a bike as dominant as the GP24, it would be a travesty for Ducati to watch Aprilia carry the prestigious number one plate next year.

Martin will depart for Aprilia, but will he do so with the #1 plate?

Martin will depart for Aprilia, but will he do so with the #1 plate?

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images



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Sprint crash was still weighing on me

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Marc Marquez has explained why he didn’t hunt down MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia for the final spot on the British Grand Prix podium, saying his crash in the sprint was still weighing on him.

Gresini rider Marquez was running in fourth place in the final five laps of the Silverstone MotoGP race, with Ducati rival Bagnaia the only hurdle between him and a fifth rostrum of the season.

While the Italian was playing it safe towards the end of the race and was hence vulnerable to attack, Marquez chose to consolidate his position instead of closing the gap to him.

The six-time champion said while Bagnaia was within his reach on Sunday, he didn’t want his Silverstone weekend to end in a double DNF, having already retired from the sprint with a fall on the penultimate lap.

“Without the crash of Saturday, maybe the podium was possible — or another crash, you never know,” he said.

“When I overtook Aleix [Espargaro], I just pushed two, three laps to open a gap and then I was controlling [the pace] more behind Pecco for my mentality, because I cannot make two mistakes in the same way, Saturday and Sunday.

“For that reason I said I prefer to finish and to have a good feeling for [the next round in] Austria than to arrive there without good confidence.”

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing Team

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Marquez had started the British GP weekend on the back foot and admitted he was feeling “lost” on Friday, having to take a tow from Pramac’s Jorge Martin in order to earn a safe passage into Q2.

He again needed the aid of slipstream in qualifying when Saturday’s action began, although this tactic ended up backfiring when he got stuck behind the slower VR46 bikes of Fabio di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi.

A fourth-place seemed certain in the sprint following Bagnaia’s early exit, but with just two laps to go Marquez tucked the front at Vale and hit the deck, suffering yet another DNF in 2024.

Sunday’s race was easily the 31-year-old’s most competitive showing of the weekend, as he overtook the slow-starting Brad Binder, brother Alex Marquez and Espargaro to rise from seventh to fourth.

The Spaniard said being able to lap at the same pace as the frontrunners in the early part of the race was the “best surprise” for him, given how far adrift he had been for much of the three days at Silverstone.

He said: “Honestly speaking, [fourth place] was a great surprise because the [main] thing of the weekend is that we were always on delay.

“Then in the warm-up we tried something that helps me a bit more, for that reason I was able to keep the pace with the front riders in the beginning of the race so this was the best surprise for me.

“I never have been quick and fast with the medium rear tyre and medium front, but I feel super good in the race.

“I was quite conservative in the end because the mistake from Saturday was in my shoulder [sic].”

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Ducati makes «big difference» on Sundays after British GP top-five lockout

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Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro believes Ducati is able to make a “big difference” with its race and tyre management on Sundays after watching it lockout the top-five places in the British Grand Prix.

Espargaro had put in a stunning record-breaking lap in qualifying to take pole position for the Silverstone MotoGP sprint and grand prix, but he soon found out he had no chance of contending with the faster Ducatis on his Aprilia RS-GP, dropping to fourth at the start of the grand prix, behind three riders on the latest-spec GP24.

Although he did manage to repass Enea Bastianini with a move into Village on the third lap, it was an uphill battle to keep the Italian behind, and the factory Ducati rider had no trouble getting back ahead shortly after the halfway point of the race.

Espargaro also suffered a severe drop in tyre performance in the final stages of the 20-lap race, dropping behind even year-old GP23 bikes of Marc Marquez and Fabio di Gianantonio, to end 9.5s off the lead in sixth.

But the grand prix veteran feels his slump in Silverstone wasn’t just a reflection of Aprilia’s shortcomings in MotoGP, but also the pace Ducati has in hand over its rivals.

Espargaro was the only non-Ducati rider to finish inside the top eight on Sunday, as the Borgo Panigale marque managed to get all its eight bikes inside the top 10 for only the second time in history.

«As in Barcelona, I already warned on Friday that we need to improve in terms of race management because Ducati has made a huge step since last year,» he said, referring to how he could only salvage fourth after scoring pole in the Catalan GP in May.

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«This race was a clone of Barcelona, nine seconds behind the winner, after taking pole and the track record.

«But they [Ducati] have something more, they go very easy and on Sunday they make a big difference. They always have something more for Sunday. I destroy the tyre to go at their pace.

«If you look at today’s classification, it speaks for itself. I was the only Aprilia among the Ducatis. The first eight bikes are Ducatis, all together. There’s not much more to say.»

Espargaro was among the only two riders on the grid to select the hard front tyre, despite the conditions getting cooler by the time the race started at 1pm local time in the UK.

This led to initial speculation that a poor tyre choice was the reason for his own problems, but Espargaro later clarified that the rear medium tyre was in fact the limiting factor for him.

The three-time grand prix winner revealed that he made more in-race adjustments on his bike than in any other race in MotoGP, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the tyre advantage enjoyed by his Ducati rivals.

«Today I had one of the best days of my racing career, he said. “I tried to manage everything I could with hard tyres to slow them down when braking.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“We took risks, we set a track record behind Jorge [Martin] and Pecco [Bagnaia], but there is a moment when I can’t do any more so I have to improve.

«On the bike you are concentrated, today I set a record for changing maps, engine braking, power.

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“I tried everything to minimise [the gap] as much as possible, but the truth is that it is quite frustrating.

“It is not right for me to say it but many riders who finished in front of the group today were quite a bit slower than us, but Ducati has made a big step with tyre management.”



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