Aleix Espargaro finally put his Aprilia RS-GP on the podium at Silverstone, claiming third after running at the front for the duration of the 20-lap BritishGP.

It was a family affair in the opening laps as younger brother Pol, lead the way from pole position, his elder sibling joining him for a one-two until Fabio Quartararo arrived to spoil the party on lap four. Running consistently in the top-group from lights out, Espargaro came under-fire, first from Alex Rins, and then Jack Miller in the dying stages, with the Catalan returning to third at the flag.

“Yeah, it's like a dream. I'm still dreaming now,” Espargaro admitted from Parc Fermé. “Sincerely, has been a long wait, long five years to arrive here.

“Especially two years ago, was very difficult, very, very difficult because I had many crashes, the bike was not competitive and I suffered a lot. I think a couple of times to end my career, or to move to another thing but I never give up and finally to be here is fantastic.

“The good thing is that it's not just one race, due to the weather or to crashes, we've been very competitive, very close to the podium all season. So finally achieving the podium is fantastic, for Aprilia, for everybody of Noale, for myself. Finally look like the things are going in a better direction and look like also the future is promising for us so hopefully we can keep the momentum. I just want to stay here, to keep working hard and keep the momentum.

“It was unbelievable,” he continued, re-living the start where the pair controlled the race. “I did a good start and when I saw Pol leading with some gap I catch him and there was a moment in lap two or lap three where I just watched for a moment, for a second a big screen, and I saw a gap between Pol, myself and the third, and I said 'No, come on, this is not real. Hopefully the race end here and will be like a dream'.

“I feel extremely good this weekend with a full tank, I felt competitive, the bike was working good. So, when I saw Pol in front of me I try to follow him, but when I felt I really had stronger pace I try to overtake him. Then I made a small mistake, I went wide, and then when I was preparing to attack again the bike stopped suddenly in the back straight, I don't know what happened, but then the bike ran again but I lose couple of positions. So I lose the chance to follow Fabio, I knew perfectly that he was the man to follow, and my race will be a little bit easier if I was able to follow him at least for five, six laps because then I would be able to open a gap, but I couldn't because when I overtook Pecco and my brother, have already gone half-second, one-second and I couldn't catch him. so at the end I just decided to stay with Alex and finish the race on the podium.

“The last lap I made a big mistake because I was focused just with Alex to try to attack him for the second place, and I didn't really care about who was coming and this was a big mistake, because I opened the door on the last chicane. Jack attack me so at the end, has been not an easy race to finish in the podium, which makes me even more proud. I think today I ride quite smooth, quite clever, saving the rear tyre so I had more traction than Jack and I was able to get back my third position, but today, as you said, the podium was mine 100%. So I was fully convinced.

“I think today, I had better speed than third position. I was really convinced to try to follow Fabio, but I didn't have the pace that I had in the warm up or yesterday because was very cold and with medium front, I didn't have the pace. In the grid when I saw that Fabio change front for the soft I was doubting a lot but because I made my lap-times also on the braking very, very hard at the end, the safer option was to stay on the medium. I lose a little bit of speed with the medium, but anyway I think I am proving I'm riding good, in a good level. My bike is improving a lot, but it's Aprilia, it's still not a winning bike so I think, I'm in good shape, riding.”

Espargaro’s confidence is growing race-by-race and he firmly believes this is where it starts rather than ends, with another podium at Aragon already the target, and the debut victory for the Italian brand not far behind.

“Why not?” he said simply. “There is no big difference between all riders of MotoGP, we are quite equal - except Fabio who is one step faster than the rest because sometimes there is one rider or the other in the podium but he's always fighting for the victory. So apart from Fabio, the rest we are very, very similar so I will try in Aragon to be a bit stronger. I will not have the pressure to make my first podium so I will be a little bit more relaxed, riding a little bit more relaxed and hopefully I can fight for the victory.”

With the stress of the previous years’s difficulties behind him, the Catalan is quick to point out where the development has come from and is adamant the future looks bright.

“Aprilia is doing really, really good progress since the arrival of Massimo Rivola. We improve a lot the team, I think now we show that we have a good potential. Many things have changed in Noale - the way we work, many new engineers have come. There is nothing free in this sport, you need to put money, you need to invest. This is what we did, and the RS-GP 21 is the highest on the stability side, due to the downforce, also the geometry, we change a little bit also the balance by changing the engine position. So many things have been done in this last two years and now we are seeing the results, but this is a consequence of many small things that you have to change during the years, There is still many things to improve. Next year, we're going to be full factory, also Maverick is joining the team so the future looks good for us.

“Obviously the season is still on, I want more and more, is not enough for me. Now, I have a lot less pressure because finally a podium so let's go for more, Aragon is a circuit that I love so let's keep working hard and see if we can improve this result.

“We are in a good shape now, the bike is working good, and normally in Aragon the bike is always competitive. Also, looks like it's not the favourite circuit of Fabio, so race will be a little bit slower. We have to fight for the podium again, that's for sure but this I say every week. Finally now I finish on the podium here, so in Aragon I want more, I feel that we are ready to fight again for the podium. And regarding Maverick, yes, obviously, if somebody in the beginning of the season, tell you that you will finish with Yamaha and you will go to Aprilia, will say this is 10 steps back but obviously the way he finished with Yamaha is not nice.

“But it's not that bad, because the Aprilia is a competitive bike, we're still not at the level of the Yamaha, that's for sure but we are on the way. I think he will enjoy a lot riding the Aprilia, I think in two days he will jump on it in Misano. He will have to adapt because it's completely another story from Yamaha but as I showed today the bike is on the way

“The level of riders in MotoGP now is the highest I have ever seen. Is unbelievable how many fast riders we have on the grid but it's not just the riders championship, is also the manufacturer's championship. I know how important it is for every manufacturer when they have a new device, when they need to develop something new, so this is fantastic. Is great, because in the past, if you want to win you just can win with Yamaha or with Honda, now looks like, still all bikes are not the same but all bikes are competitive. So you can do a good job with six manufacturers and this is unbelievable, sincerely is crazy.

“We've been knocking the door for so many races this year so this is what makes me really happy, that we are strong. Actually, when the engine stopped in Le Mans I was in top-five, when the engine stopped in Austria, I also was very, very strong in a very, difficult circuit for me and I was convinced that we could fight for the podium there as well. So, Silverstone is not a special track, we are competitive everywhere. I'm sure that if we didn't have these two engine problems, we would be able also to fight for the top-three in the championship, because if you watch the points and the classification we are not that far.

“Hopefully on the next races we can confirm this. I know it's not gonna be easy, it's not like, automatically I will be fighting for podiums every race, but I think we are more close than ever. As I said before, I think every rider in MotoGP class is quite equal right, now except Fabio who is one step, riding faster than the rest, but I don't see nobody faster than me apart from him right now so hopefully I will be in the podium in next races as well.”

With success comes reflection and there was one important figure missing from today’s celebrations, in the form of Fausto Gresini, that Espargaro was quick to mention.

“Arriving to the garage after the podium, or in the podium and seeing him as happy as he will be, it would be like a dream. He really suffered on the most difficult stages of Aprilia, but he show us the way, now we are fighting with the top brands of the world. He started this project so this podium is also for Fausto and his family.”