Image copyright: Getty Images
2023 MotoGP World Championship
2023 Malaysian Grand Prix
Sepang International Circuit
Sepang, Malaysia
Sunday, 12 November 2023
Aprilia Racing's Aleix Espargaro will be hoping for cooler conditions during the
Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday, November 12 after his struggles in Buriram.
The Spaniard described the Thailand Grand Prix as the "hardest" of his career due to the scorching temperature which made it difficult for him to breathe out on the track.
Espargaro started on the front of the grid, but found it increasingly tough to maintain his pace as a result of the heat that came off his bike and he eventually crossed the finish line 4.303 seconds behind race winner Jorge Martin in P5.
The 34-year-old was subsequently penalised three seconds for riding more than half the race under the minimum tyre pressure and was demoted to P8, leaving him 51 points behind Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Brad Binder (4th) in fifth place.
Espargaro has two victories to his name this term after winning the British Grand Prix and the Catalan Grand Prix, while also finishing on the podium in the Dutch TT (P3).
He pointed to his performance in Sepang as a perfect example of how his season has gone, admitting he's not been able to match Martin, Francesco Bagnaia, Marco Bezzecchi and Brad Binder in 2023.
Image copyright: Getty Images
"Sincerely, I couldn't breathe. It was the hardest race of my life. In the last three laps, I was panicking because I tried to breathe, and I couldn't," he said post-race.
"I was super, super worried. Yeah, when I came into the pits I thought I was going to die, I couldn't breathe. It has been a really tough race for me to be focused.
"But for me, it's like today's race is a good example of my Championship. We are position number five in terms of riders, the four riders who finished in front of me have been faster this year and they have better bikes than mine, that's for sure."
2023 Thailand Grand Prix results:
Winner: Jorge Martin - Prima Pramac Racing
Second Place: Francesco Bagnaia - Ducati Lenovo Team
Third Place: Brad Binder - Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Bet on Motorsport with Betway
Betting on motorsport with Betway is fast-paced and exciting. With access to a huge selection of markets and odds, it won’t be long before you are betting at 100km/h. Click HERE to register a new account, get up to R1,000 as a Free Bet when you make your first deposit which you can use to bet on Formula 1, MotoGP, NASCAR, or any other sport of your choice.
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions follow Betway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Download the Betway App.