MotoGP: Aprilia Racing GP of France Race Report

The opening laps of the race were complicated for Viñales who, after a good start, went long on the first braking section, dropping all the way back to fifth position. Maverick was still able to work his way back up to third before being forced to concede two positions in the race finale.

After a good start from the second row, Espargaró initially defended third in the early stages of the race until the twelfth lap, when a contact with another rider relegated him to eighth place. Despite this, Aleix battled for sixth all the way to the final lap when, after an aggressive move by another rider, he was forced to drop back to ninth.

MAVERICK VIÑALES
“It was a hard race, but I tried to give it my all. We can only be happy with this fifth place. On a weekend when we did not find the right feeling, taking third in the Sprint Race and fifth in the race is a positive outcome. This is the consistency we are looking for. We need to keep believing and work hard like we have up to now.”

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
“I started well, with this bike, I could have finished at least in the top five, but I didn’t feel good in terms of grip. It was an eventful race, with contact that forced me to go long and the time lost attempting to overtake. I wasn’t as consistent as I would have liked, but my outlook is still positive, especially looking towards Montmeló, which will be a fundamental round.”

MASSIMO RIVOLA
“Maverick took home a good placement and performed rather consistently. It was a pity about Aleix because he started strong but then found himself in a few battles that caused him to lose rhythm. First an aggressive move by Bastianini and then, at the end of the race, Morbidelli also cost him two positions. It’s difficult to find your pace when these types of episodes occur. We were close today, but not close enough. In any case, we know why we missed this small gap and hopefully we’ll be able to bridge it as soon as possible. Barcelona should be a favourable track for us, so we are optimistic.”

• From Piaggio Group Press Release