Espargaro feels he has "never been so inconsistent"
KTM's Pol Espargaro says he has "never been so inconsistent" in a MotoGP season as he is now after crashing out of Sunday's Catalan Grand Prix.
Espargaro crashed out of Sunday's race at Catalunya while running eighth on the 13th lap, losing him ground in the championship as he dropped to 51 points adrift of race winner Fabio Quartararo in 12th in the standings.
This was Espargaro's third DNF of the season, after he was taken out in collisions with Johann Zarco and Miguel Oliveira at the Czech and Austrian GPs last month.
Espargaro had podium pace in both Jerez races in July, but qualifying off the front two rows meant he couldn't advance on sixth and seventh, while his podiums in the Styrian and Emilia Romagna races sandwiched a 10th-place finish in the San Marino GP.
The KTM rider admits he "keeps losing" points this season, which is "super-painful" for his championship bid, and says his inconsistent form is like "someone is shaking us".
"As this championship is going up and down so much, it's difficult to predict anything," he replied when asked if his championship ambitions had changed after his Catalan GP crash.
"From being third last weekend [at Misano] to crashing here, also [Andrea] Dovizioso crashed. So, he lost the leadership of the championship.
"This championship is very unpredictable, so who's to tell you that maybe we go to Le Mans and our result is amazing and the others make mistakes?
"For sure, my result here doesn't help at all. That's 100%, but it's hard because we know losing points is super-painful for the championship and we keep losing them.
"It's difficult, I've never been so inconsistent in a championship, I think never in my life I've had so many zeroes in a championship is this short period of races.
"So, for sure I feel bad because we go from top to bottom and top to bottom again and it feels like someone is shaking us."
The low temperatures in Sunday's race worked against Espargaro as he was forced into running the medium front tyre instead of the soft, as it's "impossible" to use on the KTM.
KTM riders have typically favoured the harder option front tyres in 2020, with Espargaro noting that it's similar to the problem Honda riders faced in recent seasons.
"We have this problem that maybe Honda had last year when they always were using harder compounds," he added.
"So now it looks like compared to the other manufacturers, especially to Yamaha and Ducati, we always go to the harder compounds on the front.
"And as soon as we cannot use them to stop the bike, this [medium] tyre... if it had been sunny normally we're not too bad, we could push very good.
"But because of these cold conditions, the medium tyre was not working. But the other option was to use the soft front, and for us no way, impossible to use.
"It is what it is. We struggle when it's too cold or when it's too hot, so we need these kind of perfect conditions."
Previous article
Quartararo: Catalan GP win "best moment of my life"
Next article
Bagnaia joins works Ducati team, Zarco makes Pramac switch
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Drivers | Pol Espargaro |
| Author | Lewis Duncan |
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title
