Aleix Espargaro showed great speed in the MotoGP preseason, being near the top of the standings both in Sepang and in Losail. In the Qatar tests, the Aprilia rider set the third best time, 0.308s behind the leader, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati).
The Spaniard expressed his enthusiasm after the tests: ‘I’m excited, I’m very happy. Tests are tests, it’s always the same conversation. But if you’re fast like I was during the preseason, you have to be excited. I’m very enthusiastic, I’m ready to fight. I think it’s going to be a good season. I feel like I’m riding at the best level of my life, and this 2024 RS-GP is the best bike I’ve ever had. So, we’ll see what happens in the races, but I’m prepared‘.
That being said, Espargaro is aware of the high level of competition and admitted that Ducati is still out of reach: ‘The level is very high. The lap times we did in Malaysia and here in Qatar are crazy – unbelievable times. Everyone is very, very fast. It seems that Ducati has improved, we have improved – the 2024 RS-GP has improved a lot, but it’s still not enough to beat the Ducatis. KTM has also improved a bit, especially in the race with Brad [Binder] being there. It seems that the Japanese brands have improved a bit, but not enough because the Italian brands are improving much more. The man to beat is Pecco, for sure. I think this is the strongest preseason for him since he’s been in MotoGP‘.
