The race on the Red Bull Ring will be an uphill battle, coming back from behind for the Aprilia machines. After the good feedback yesterday, especially in the second session, Aleix Espargaró struggled to improve on his performance with the soft tyre. There was a lack of feeling in braking highlighted by the numerous times the rider ran wide at the most demanding braking sections on the Austrian track. However, the Spanish rider has not lost confidence for the race. His pace is good and, above all, his confidence in the medium rear that he will use tomorrow make him optimistic for a solid placement. It will be a comeback ride from the seventh row that will need to begin as soon as the lights go out.

His teammate, Sam Lowes, is in a similar situation, twenty-third in qualifying, but rather confident in his chances to manage race distance. His goal is to finish in the points and gain confidence in view of his home GP at Silverstone.