MotoGP Motegi: Espargaro ‘feeling relaxed, race will be demanding’

Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro is back in contention for the 2022 MotoGP title as the season returns to Japan for the first time since 2019.

A podium last time out at Aragon, at the start of a triple header, could provide the momentum the Spaniard needs to maintain his championship challenge, with just 17 points now separating him from series leader Fabio Quartararo and five races left to run.

“Yeah has been good to be back on the podium especially it was like an extra boost of confidence,” Espargaro said of his difficult weekend on home soil. “I struggled in Misano and Austria and I was quite satisfied about my performance - to finish sixth place in difficult circuits in MotoGP today is not that easy. So it was okay.

“To finish on the podium, especially after a very difficult weekend with two crashes on Friday, was out of the Q2, so it was not an easy weekend for me, but to manage and put the bike on the podium on Sunday was great!

“MotoGP is MotoGP, everything can happen,” he said of the task ahead of him. “We saw it with the crash of Fabio in the first lap in Aragon for example. He was leading the championship, always struggling in Aragon and then he had super strong pace and then he crashed in the race. So everything can happen.

“You have to be relaxed, try to handle everything in the most positive way possible. Let’s see how is the weekend because we have to deal with many new things, long time that we don’t race in Japan, different schedules, strange weather conditions, so it’s gonna be fun.”

While many in the class have yet to experience Mobility Resort Motegi on premier class machinery, Espargaro isn’t expecting it to make much of an impact.

“I don’t think it’s going to count so much,” the 32-year-old explained. “I