Category: Superbikes

1. Maverick finishes fourth in the Sprint Race

   Posted on 7:00pm Saturday 25th Nov 2023

   Maverick takes his first pole position on an Aprilia, with the track record, and finishes fourth in the Sprint Race

   DEFENSIVE RACE FOR ALEIX, STRUGGLING WITH THE INJURY TO HIS LEFT LEG

   
   It was a positive day for Maverick Viñales who, in the morning qualifiers, took his first pole position astride the RS-GP. He will start from the first spot on the grid tomorrow in the final GP of the season. He started well today in the Sprint Race, overtaking Bagnaia on the first corner. He led the short race confidently in the first four laps but then, having chosen a medium rear tyre, he was forced to give in to the higher performance of riders who had put on the soft. He stayed with the leading group to finish fourth, less than one second from the podium, and was the best of the riders who had opted for the same tyre.

   After going straight through to the second qualifying session yesterday, Aleix had to reckon with physical fitness heavily conditioned by the fracture to his left fibula suffered less than one week ago in Qatar. He started from the fourth row and struggled to make up positions, finishing the race thirteenth.

   ALEIX
   "I obviously had to reckon with my injury. However, I must compliment the mobile clinic docs. They are incredibly talented and they did a great job making sure I wasn’t in too much pain. Sometimes we complain about things that are wrong with the championship but, in the same way, we need to acknowledge the positive aspects and the level of the Mobile Clinic is one of these. In spite of this, I did not have strength in the leg and it was hard to move about in the saddle which, on a track like Valencia, is highly penalising. In any case, after today’s Sprint Race, I’m more confident about being able to finish the long race. I want to make it to the finish line because everyone, from the fans to Aprilia, deserves it after this season."

   MAVERICK
   "It was a positive day and taking my first pole position with Aprilia was fantastic. We have no regrets for the Sprint Race. The decision to go with the medium tyre really seemed like the right choice. Instead, something unexpected happened and, at the end of the day, those who chose the soft had clearly better performance. This leaves us with a lot of doubts for the GP tomorrow because the soft tyre has demonstrated that it is consistent all the way to the final laps. However, I am pleased with the job we did. The bike worked extremely well, so we just need to fully analyse the data and take the right decision."

2. DIGGIA ON GOOD FORM AS HE SEALS DIRECT SEED TO Q2 ALSO AT VALENCIA

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 25th Nov 2023

   The positive trend continues for Fabio Di Giannantonio who - after the superb performance shown in Qatar – managed to start the season finale at Valencia on the right foot. In Friday’s key session, the Italian managed to log a record-worth 1’29.395secs time that places him in fourth position. 
   
   Alex Marquez had a bit more of a challenging day as he had an unfortunate high-speed crash at turn one in the opening session, while he was also competitive in the afternoon, just not enough to make it through (for a matter of milliseconds). He will try to bounce back from Q1 tomorrow – last time out it didn’t go so bad…

3. Maverick leads on Friday in Valencia with the new track record

   Posted on 9:00pm Friday 24th Nov 2023

   AMAZING TOP-10 FOR ALEIX AS HE SOLDIERS THROUGH THE PAIN The opening practice sessions in Valencia – the final round of the MotoGP season – were dominated by Maverick Viñales who, on his Aprilia, managed to break the track record which had stood since 2016. Aleix also did extremely well. On the track in pain due to his fractured fibula, injured last week in Losail, he gritted his teeth and took home an amazing (given the conditions) top-10, which sends him straight through to Q2. Also noteworthy is the eighth-place time by Raúl Fernández, improving consistently with Team RNF and bringing the number Aprilias in the top ten to three. Now the focus shifts to Saturday’s sessions. FP3 to fine tune race pace and tyre choice, Q2 to battle for a good spot on the starting grid, and the 13-lap Sprint Race which will award the first points of the weekend. ALEIX "To be honest, I’m a bit sad, because I did not expect to suffer this much. I’m able to hang tough for a couple laps, but then the pain gets to be too much. This track is not the best suited for the situation since there are a lot of left-handers where I struggle more. The crash this morning was also due to this. My body tries to compensate for the lack of strength on the left side and I used the brakes too much to get the bike turning. At the moment, participating in the race doesn’t seem likely. I’ll try to have fun in qualifying and then we’ll see. The Clinica has done an incredible job and we have a few ideas for tomorrow, but I don’t know if it will be enough." MAVERICK "A time of 29.1 in Valencia is spectacular. This is proof that we are fast and that we have great potential. Now the goal is to maintain our speed throughout the weekend. On this track, we need to have the skill to find the right balance between the front and rear tyre. Today we were successful and riding the RS-GP was truly a pleasure. We’ll analyse the data closely now to continue our improvement process. The pace is not bad, but it’s only Friday and too early to say. We’ll see what happens with the conditions tomorrow."

4. Fantastic comeback for Maverick, Aleix forced to stop by the pain

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 20th Nov 2023

   MAVERICK RECOVERS FROM NINTH TO FOURTH AND MISSES THE PODIUM BY JUST 80 THOUSANDTHS The fourth-place finish today in the Qatar race was undoubtedly disappointing for Maverick Viñales, who made a spectacular comeback ride from ninth place. Only eighty thousandths of a second separated him from a final result that was within his potential. After the accident yesterday which had even made his participation today doubtful, Aleix rode in the Warm-up and then decided to join the 21-lap race. However, the pain in his left leg, specifically the lack of feeling in his foot, forced him to retire during the seventh lap. After starting from the third row, Maverick found himself in ninth place during the opening lap. After an initial period of settling in, he began his comeback, encouraged by an outstanding race pace. However, the inevitable time lost overtaking had left him with a gap of over three seconds behind the podium, a distance that the Spanish rider stubbornly reduced to zero, even attempting to overtake on the final turns. The awareness of his potential at the end of the race is the best precedent for the final round in Valencia and for his continued adventure with Aprilia. ALEIX "I wanted to give it a go today, but at a certain point, I lost feeling and strength in my left foot so I was unable to work the gear shifter. Even in the Warm-up, I noticed this risk. The hours of rest ahead of the race weren’t enough time to fully recover. Knowing our pace, it’s a pity, but I was unable to continue. Now focus to Valencia where I hope to arrive at physical fitness that will be sufficient to finish the season well." MAVERICK "The balance we found this weekend on the RS-GP is, in my opinion, the best of 2023. That is the truly positive thing. The path has been mapped out and we are well aware of the technical direction that needs to be followed. At the risk of sounding repetitive, once again, having to recover ground makes everything harder and keeps me from achieving the results which – in terms of pace – we deserve. With the speed that we then demonstrate in the race, improving in qualifiers and the race start must be our mantra from now until the start of the next season."

5. Light and dark in the Losail Sprint Race

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 19th Nov 2023

   MAVERICK SIXTH, ALEIX INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND INJURED

   In the spectacular setting of the revamped Losail circuit, the MotoGP Sprint Race had Maverick as the best Aprilia – sixth across the line – after a long chase behind Bagnaia. Aleix, on the other hand, was involved in a crash in the early stages of the race which left him in pain. The subsequent medical checks showed a small fracture at the top of the left fibula which will be reassessed tomorrow morning after a night of rest.

   In the race tomorrow, Maverick will start from the second spot on the third row which he earned in qualifying. On the other hand, if he participates, Aleix will be penalised six positions, so he’ll have to start from the sixth row.

   MAVERICK
   "A good Sprint Race, although I had hoped to be able to have a go with Bagnaia. We actually had a very similar pace, but by spending the entire race behind him, I was able to figure out which aspects of the RS-GP need to be improved. Once again, starting from behind cost me a lot of time in the early laps – another area where we need to improve in 2024 because it conditions the end result a great deal. In any case, I felt good in the saddle and I believe that I obtained the maximum possible. Tomorrow we’ll see if and how things will change with twice as many laps and even more crucial tyre management."