Espargaro endures ‘disastrous race, riding style not suiting’ Honda at present

Repsol Honda rider Pol Espargaro has ended a difficult Austrian MotoGP in P16 - same position as the StyrianGP a week earlier. 

Struggles aboard the RC213V for the former KTM rider haven’t lessened since the summer break ended, in fact the double header in Spielberg was Espargaro’s two worst finishes of the year (excluding DNF’s). 

Only Cal Crutchlow finished behind the Spaniard who was over 40 seconds down on race winner Brad Binder.  

Like his team-mate Marc Marquez, Espargaro pitted for wet tyres but was one of the last to do so, which exaggerated the final time deficit. 

Speaking after the race, Espargaro alluded to his current riding style not ‘suiting the current situation’, while other issues are coming from different rubber being laid down on Sundays compared to practice. 

Espargaro added: "It was a disastrous race. I had nothing with the bike, no grip and I was just spinning the whole race. 

"Different race, different day but the same result. My riding style isn’t suiting the current situation and for sure I’m working to improve it. 

"In practice our pace isn’t bad, in the top ten, but then when we go to the race with different rubber on track – I lose the grip and the pace I had after five or six laps. 

"It’s not enough and I’m not satisfied, but now we move to Silverstone and see what happens."

In the hands of Marquez, the Repsol Honda has made steady improvements which shows that there is potential with the bike - although this is also being helped by the Spaniard’s improved physical condition.