Brothers... but still MotoGP rivals: WATCH Espargaro duo argue over Misano drama
Aleix and Pol Espargaro prove that just because you're brothers that doesn't mean you can't conduct a family argument on live television on MotoGP bikes!
They say blood is thicker than water, but when it comes to leaving it all out on track in MotoGP, all is fair in love and war for the brothers Espargaro.
The two Spaniards - Aleix and Pol Espargaro - have been facing up against one another on the premier stage since 2014 and while there is naturally good camaraderie between the pair, it doesn’t mean they aren’t partial to the odd spat.
Indeed, while brotherly feuds tend to range from not sharing over toys, play fighting or - if you happen to be part of the Giggs family - having an affair with the other’s wife for eight years, here we have the added dynamic falling out at 100mph+.
Let’s just say my mother would have a hard time watching me racing in MotoGP, let alone see both sons almost coming together at speed before waving arms at each other on live television.
On this occasion, Pol - the younger Espargaro by two years - wasn’t happy with his elder sibling when Aleix rolled out of the throttle on his Aprilia while towing his Repsol Honda riding ‘bruv’ around a fast lap in FP3 for the San Marino MotoGP at Misano.
After a speedy near-miss, Pol makes his feelings known in only a way brothers know.
“He was in the middle, it happens sometimes. It happened to me at Silverstone, sometimes you are hot and in FP3 I was improving, he was on the fast corners and I just saw him and was a bit ‘woah’, scared.”
However, as Aleix explains, he said he got out of the throttle because of a yellow flag - which would see any fast lap cancelled automatically anyway - was coming up ahead
“He was angry because I closed the throttle, but it was yellow flags and he didn’t see them. Other riders, like Fabio, didn’t but for me it is important to slow under yellow flags. I said to him you have to slow but he didn’t see it.”
“These things happen, we go racing and we take it seriously,” Pol continued. “This is our passion, we are brothers, we love each other but this is our work and we need to be serious. I will do the same [treat the same] others.”
So all is well… but it’s nothing a bit of parental telling off from Mama Espargaro won’t be able to fix, no doubt.
