Quartararo WILL NOT be on Silverstone podium! | Crash.Net Podcast 57 - Video

Keith Huewen: Silverstone is Aleix’s chance, can Quartararo podium?

The upcoming British MotoGP at Silverstone, where title leader Fabio Quartararo must serve a Long Lap penalty, headlines this week’s Crash.net MotoGP podcast with Keith Huewen.

After a five-week summer break, MotoGP blasts back into action with reigning champion Quartararo leading the standings by a reduced 21-points over Aleix Espargaro after suffering a first DNF of the season at Assen.

But the aftermath will controversially carry over to Silverstone, where Quartararo needs to serve a Long Lap penalty - in the hectic early laps of the race - as punishment for the fumbled pass on Espargaro.

As such, Keith Huewen thinks Espargaro is now poised to take another chunk out of the Frenchman’s title lead - and that Quartararo, the 2021 race winner, will struggle to finish on the podium this Sunday.

“Aleix Espargaro, this is his chance,” said former British champion and Grand Prix rider Huewen.

“You’ve got Quartararo doing the Long Lap penalty after his shenanigans in Assen, which is going to make a massive difference.

“The racing is so tight, so to work your way back from that is going to be tricky.

“Meanwhile, Espargaro is looking absolutely superb. I just think he's going to perform so well and that the Aprilia is the kind of motorcycle that will really work at Silverstone.

“I think Aleix is race winner this weekend and can grab a handful of points from Quartararo, when there are not going to be many given away by Quartararo this year.

“So the Race Stewards may just have assisted Aleix Espargaro in closing this up and making it something a little bit special as we go well into the second-half of the season.
“My predictions are Aleix Espargaro as number one for Silverstone. Bagnaia in second place and then I had a real difficulty over Quartararo and whether he will make a podium or not.

“I think Quartararo probably will force his way through into third. So that's my top three. Unless it rains, then Jack Miller!”

Crash.net MotoGP editor Pete McLaren also backs Espargaro and Aprilia to shine but thinks - if Quartararo can qualify well and start strongly - he can still emerge victorious on Sunday.

“Quartararo’s going into Silverstone feeling he has a penalty he didn’t deserve. Yamaha and his team also feel that way. But carrying that anger into this weekend could work for him, or against him.

“I certainly think, after Assen, he’s going to want to go out there and blow everybody away from first practice.

“We know how important it’s been for Quartararo to get the holeshot and run away at the front. But it's going to be almost impossible to do that with this penalty, so I think we're going to see a fight on our hands.
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