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Young Spaniard Aleix Espargaró has not harmed his chances with a maiden duo of Grand Prix events over the last
ten days, the 13th and 11th placings he has gained at Indy and Misano respectively will sit well on his competition resume
as he searches to confirm a World Championship squad next year.
This will mean he may be fast-tracked to MotoGP
or go into Moto2 as was expected prior to receiving his break with Pramac Racing. This remains to be seen, but
it is clear that missing out on a regular race this season in the 250cc session, he has gained a remarkable account
of himself lately.
His substitute 250cc showings for the Balatonring Team allowed him to place fourth at Assen
and seventh at Sachsenring, giving him praise throughout the MotoGP circuit and heading an opportunity to race Mika Kallio’s
satellite Desmosedici GP9 for two events, while the Finn substitutes for Casey Stoner who has been recovering from injury
from the Ducati squad.
Stoner is due back in Portugal, allowing Kallio to retake his Pramac ride and Espargaró
will embark to the sidelines for now. A smash at Misano disrupted Espargaró’s progression, but he will have his
forearm fixed in Spain on Monday to continue with his adventures after a rollercoaster year.
“We can consider
ourselves satisfied with what we have done on track,” states the 20 year-old. “At Indy, on my MotoGP debut, I
had to learn everything about this new experience and here at Misano we have demonstrated the ability to be competitive.”
On the round thirteen event he adds, “In the first laps I was going really well and at one stage I was part
of a group of riders who were fighting for seventh position. After the fifteenth lap I felt a lot of pain in my right forearm
and it was impossible to maintain the pace. I was able to somehow manage braking with the palm of my hand, but I couldn’t
completely open the throttle and I was losing too much at top speed.”
He finishes, “On Monday in Madrid
I will have surgery so that I can be in top form for my next ride in whatever class it will be. I want to thank the Pramac
Racing Team, Paolo Campinoti and Ducati for the fantastic opportunity they gave me to make my debut in MotoGP and I hope that
I didn’t disappoint them.”
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