“Fabio Quartararo is starting to feel the pressure”

Ambassador Woonkly and the only Spanish 500ccm world champion, Àlex Crivillé, reviews the return to MotoGP activity with the British Grand Prix, the twelfth round of

Aleix Espargaró admitted to being really tired after the first part of the season because of the mental tension caused by the fight for the title. How important are vacations for a pilot?

Aleix Espargaró is having his best season yet as he fights for the MotoGP world championship title. This five-week summer break has been beneficial for all drivers and teams to rest. For a pilot it is important to rest, although not as much as training. The rest is part of the program to recharge the batteries and reach the second part of this season, which will start at the Silverstone circuit, at full throttle. Despite a month’s vacation, most pilots don’t rest. They follow a program and stay active through cycling, running, the gym and motorcycles to try not to lose their physical form forever.

Fabio Quartararo went into the break 21 points ahead of Aleix Espargaró after making his first mistake of the year at Assen. Do you think he’s starting to feel the pressure?

Fabio Quartararo is starting to feel the pressure, but he knows how to deal with it as he is already a MotoGP world champion. He knows that it is important not to fail because he is close to Aleix Espargaró and because Pecco Bagnaia is stronger than him in some races. In other words, Fabio Quartararo controls it. With nine races left until the end of the season, he is one of the riders who a priori looks like the favorite.

After taking your first podium with Aprilia in Assen, how will the role of Maverick Viñales influence the fight for the title?

Maverick Viñales started to show very high level in Aprilia. He has no qualms about starting to be among the best and that means that at any given moment he can throw a cable at his teammate. If he is up there with Aleix Espargaró and Fabio Quartararo, he will try to help his teammate in case Aleix Espargaró needs those points to challenge Fabio Quartararo for the title.

During the summer break, the signing of Álex Rins of the LCR Honda team for the next two seasons was announced. How do you think he will adapt to such a critical bike?

Álex Rins knew something had to be done with the Honda because it was a complicated bike to ride. We are all confident that the 2023 Honda will be a more manageable and versatile bike for all riders. In that case, Álex Rins has no problem being one of the best. Now, this is a complicated bike to ride. We cannot expect the adaptation of Álex Rins to Honda. He is a good driver and if there are changes, he is with the best.

Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring will be important for future Jorge Martín and Enea Bastianini. Who will Ducati choose for the official team?

It’s hard to know what the future holds for Jorge Martín and Enea Bastianini. They are two great pilots, with two different styles and the ability of winners. From my point of view, I bet more on Jorge Martín because he has one of the best styles and makes fewer mistakes than Enea Bastianini, even though the Italian is the driver who has won the most races. The balance is very balanced and we will see what Ducati decides, but I will choose Jorge Martin.

What is your forecast for the British Grand Prix MotoGP podium?

My forecast for the British Grand Prix podium is Pecco Bagnaia, because he is growing and pushing himself to the limit. Later, Fabio Quartararo and Aleix Espargaró.

Augusto Fernández leads the overall Moto2 classification with Celestino Vietti. How has the Spaniard fared in the early part of this season?

Augusto Fernández is growing up fast. He sees that little more is expected from his teammate, who has been unlucky with injuries. Augusto Fernández is now the team leader. He is tied on points with Celestino Vietti, leading the overall Moto2 classification. There are nine races left and Augusto Fernández is going for a record. He will try and he can choose the title of Moto2 world champion.

Three points separate Izan Guevara from the leadership of Sergio García Dols, his teammate. What can we expect from them in the second half of the year?

The fight in Moto3 is closed and it is between Izan Guevara and Sergio García Dols. If they don’t miss and hunt them down, it will be a battle between teammates. Izan Guevara is already big, but Sergio García Dols is a very cerebral driver, cool and knows the pressure of leading the world championship. We will see who will take the title of champion because the two are very even.