After a five-week hiatus in the 2023 MotoGP world championship, the British Grand Prix proved that predictability has yet to invade the series. Two years on from his breakthrough Aprilia MotoGP podium at Silverstone, Aleix Espargaro breathtakingly held his nerve during a late rain shower and executed a daring raid for the lead on the last lap to secure a second career victory.
Little had gone right for Aprilia or Espargaro during the first half of the 2023 season. After becoming race winners in 2022 and challenging for the title almost to the end, expectations were considered high on the veteran Spaniard taking this a step further. As he sat, flanked by championship leader Francesco Bagnaia and Brad Binder, in the post-GP press conference, he conceded that, perhaps, he was too ambitious, and thus mistakes were bred.
“At the beginning of the season the expectation was too high, on myself and on the team,” he said. “So, I made too many mistakes; I crashed in Argentina, I crashed in America, I lost a lot of points. I had good speed, many Fridays, many sessions in the dry I was
