Michael Scott | May 25, 2022
Cycle News In The Paddock
COLUMN
Aprilia – Dare To Dream
Aleix Espargaro is carefully matter of fact. He’s not thinking about winning the championship, just “enjoying the moment. It might come only once in my career.” Given how long he has had to wait, he doesn’t want to become over-confident about what might prove a fleeting purple patch.
But what a moment it is, and how very purple, for the 32-year-old veteran of 288 grand prix starts. Only 36-year-old Andrea Dovizioso is older and has more GP starts at 339.
Suddenly, however, one-third of the way into his 19th grand prix season and approaching what must be considered the twilight of his career, the Spaniard finds himself a serious championship contender. His first grand prix win in Argentina is backed by three more podium finishes, more than any other rider in the first seven races so far this year.
Only defending champion Fabio Quartararo has more points. And then only the four of them.
So more consistent and faster into the bargain.
With the longest-ever MotoGP season moving towards its second half, his rivals are taking Aleix seriously as a title contender, even if he is trying not to.
Aleix Espargaro—enjoying the moment.
He hasn’t emerged from the shadows alone. A massively improved Aprilia RS-GP has carried him, and the Noale marque has benefited hand in hand with the rider. At Le Mans, with a third successive podium, the previously unobtrusive squad moved into the lead of the teams’ championship. Underdogs to top dogs, in seven easy races.
Back in the pit box, team management is trying to pull off the same trick as the rider: enjoy it while it lasts. Though in a different way. The success of the machine rests not on the quixotic luck that defines a rider’s career but on solid engineering achievement. Plus, the rider to twist the throttle. So far, Aleix is the only one of several who can get such strong performance out of the RS-GP. Team new boy Maverick Vinales, who as a former World Champion and a nine-time premier-class race winner and might have been thought the senior rider, has come close on single lap times but has fallen far short in race performance.
With next year’s contracts looming, however, and Suzuki’s withdrawal adding to the pool of top riders seeking jobs, Aleix might yet find his star waning.
One-third of the way into his 19th grand prix season and approaching what must be considered the twilight of his career, the Spaniard finds himself a serious championship contender.
The elder Espargaro has been overshadowed throughout his career, including by younger brother Pol, who outranks him by 15 wins to one, not to mention the 2013 Moto2 title. Commendably, the siblings have so far been able to enjoy one another’s success without spitting in one another’s cornflakes.
An undistinguished beginner on a 125, Aleix’s five years in the intermediate class—250 and later Moto2—were likewise rather underwhelming. A single top-three finish seemed something of a fluke.
A dozen years in the premier class have been slightly better—two podium finishes and twice in the top 10 in the championship, if only distantly. Overall, his results were as average as his machinery, including a production-based CRT Aprilia, a superannuated Yamaha and an early-stage Suzuki. Much to his dismay, Suzuki dropped him just as the machine he’d helped develop started getting good.
Aleix was chiefly distinguished for emotional displays: more notable for waving his arms around than getting his elbows out. A side notably absent during 2022.
If nothing else, this is an object lesson in how close the margins are. And in how easy it is to turn one’s nose up at riders who are overshadowed for reasons other than talent, either technical or circumstantial.
But racing is a cruel world, where second is the first loser. As a result, it’s easy to smirk at riders haunting at the back of the grid. And unfair. Even to qualify for a Grand Prix demands exceptional talent; to be reliably up front requires in addition a very high level of both technical and moral support. And good luck, too.
The same is true of the motorcycles. The smallest quirk in handling or throttle response can make a huge difference to results. Just look at this year’s Honda.
For Aprilia, however, it is not only ironing out the quirks that has turned the bike into a reliable front-runner. It is also significant investment, both in personnel and an all-new engine design—the 90-degree V4 that replaced the previous 72-degree version in 2020. Dedicated development has now achieved reliability and class-matching speed.
An intense calendar of 14 more races lies ahead, with little breathing space for development for Aprilia’s surprised rivals. Furthermore, despite having lost “concession-team” status two weeks ago, Aprilia alone retain the privilege of free engine development for the rest of this year.
The bike’s performance puts it on the top level. It has the potential to get better still.
So too the rider.
Dare to dream? Definitely!CN
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