SILVERSTONE: Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro surprised championship leader Francesco Bagnaia with a brilliant late lap on Saturday to snatch pole for the British MotoGP at Silverstone.
The 35-year-old Spaniard, who is retiring at the end of the year, reclaimed the lap record for Silverstone where he won 12 months ago with a time of 1 minute 57.309 seconds, which was 0.208sec ahead of Ducati’s Bagnaia.
"This lap has been amazing,” said Espargaro. "I risked a lot and the lap was just perfect. Unbelievable. I never thought with these conditions, it’s quite cold, we could reach this time.” He starts on the front row alongside Bagnaia and another Italian Enea Bastianini (Ducati) on the grid for the sprint race at 1400 GMT on Saturday and for Sunday’s grand prix.
Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac), second in the championship 10 points behind Bagnaia, will start fourth ahead of compatriot Alex Marquez (Ducati-Gresini) and South African Brad Binder (KTM). It is the seventh pole of Espargaro’s career and his second this season, following his success in Barcelona where he went on to win the sprint before coming fourth in the grand prix.
Bagnaia’s chances of pole were hampered by a sponsor logo coming loose on his helmet and flapping across his visor. "It went in front of my eyes,” he said. "I am very angry about that. Things like this is not good.”
Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez, who is currently third in the championship standings, will only be seventh on the grid while Maverick Vinales slid off and will start from eighth.
SILVERSTONE: (L-R) Ducati Lenovo Team’s Italian rider Francesco Bagnaia, Aprilia Racing’s Spanish rider Aleix Espargaro and Ducati Lenovo Team’s Italian rider Enea Bastianini pose after taking part in the qualifying session of the MotoGP British Grand Prix at Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire, central England, on August 3, 2024. — AFP