Alex Espargaro celebrates winning the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. — the racer broke into a windy and rainy Silverstone to win the British Grand Prix. The Catalan's second career victory came less than 0.8 seconds from all three of his pursuers as European manufacturers continue to dominate MotoGP.
The 34-year-old, who took his first podium in 2021, earned his final trophies despite chilly temperatures and intermittent light rain that made 320 km/h on slippery tires dangerous. On the last lap, he passed world champion Pekko Bagnaia at the Maggotts corner.
“I was very enthusiastic, braked very late and accelerated better than him,” he chuckled afterwards.
Espargaro in his Aprilia on his way to winning the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Photo: Tim Keaton/Shutterstock
The first Japanese motorcycle to fly the flag was Franco Morbidelli's Monster Energy Yamaha in 14th place. The results once again highlighted the widening gap between European and Japanese manufacturers in the series.
Up until Ducati's second ever championship success in 2022, Japanese brands have driven MotoGP in every but one year since 1975. Now Honda and Yamaha have just two podiums in nine races. They have only one victory since June 2022.
Ducati's MotoGP weight is huge, but Aprilia is the most reactive brand — the Italians already have a full carbon chassis in the late stages of development. Silverstone introduced a new fairing in favor of Espargaro. Three Aprilia RS-GPs made it into the top five.
“The fairing was an important upgrade,” said Espargaro. “I felt like I could close corners better and pick up the bike a little earlier. That was the key and I had a lot of traction. Our bike is very competitive, but not the best, so hopefully one day we can be the benchmark.”
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