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Category: Superbikes
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APRILIA RS 660 DOMINATES THE TWINS CUP CLASS IN MOTOAMERICA
KALEB DE KEYREL IS 2021 CHAMPION THANKS TO HIS SECOND PLACE IN NEW JERSEY
TOMMASO MARCON WINS ON HIS DÉBUT WITH APRILIA
It’s fair to refer to Aprilia’s adventure in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup class as domination. In fact, in its début year, the RS 660 literally changed the face of the category, turning up in the paddock with almost no preparation, but immediately taking on a highly prominent role.
It is no coincidence that the title was clinched with a Race 1 podium in New Jersey that was monopolized by the Italian twin-cylinder and where second place finisher Kaleb De Keyrel earned the points he needed to be crowned the 2021 champion. This is a triumph that will take him to Italy for a wild-card spot in the last round of the Aprilia RS 660 Trophy in Vallelunga.
Credit goes to De Keyrel and Team Robem Engineering, who skillfully exploited the technical potential of the RS 660, which proved to be in its element right away on the demanding American tracks. This is a testament to its DNA which, although intended for the best possible street use, in no way betrays its competitive nature. The ideal compromise between light weight, power, and the proverbial chassis structure from Noale.
The perfect weekend was topped off by Race 2, with no fewer than four RS 660 bikes in the top four spots. Winning the race was Italian Tommaso Marcon, riding in a special wild-card spot and tester for the 660 project, ahead of Anthony Mazziotto and fifteen-year-old surprise Maxwell Toth, on the podium twice in his Twins Cup "first".
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ANOTHER RACE AT THE FRONT FOR ALEIX AND APRILIA
MAVERICK’S FEELING IMPROVES LAP AFTER LAP
ALEIX: "EXTREMELY FAST RACE, IMPORTANT CONFIRMATION"
MAVERICK: "IT’LL TAKE TIME BUT WE’LL GET THERE, I’M CERTAIN OF IT"
Another race with the best, from the first to the last lap, and a podium just barely missed. By now, Aleix and Aprilia are no longer a surprise. The RS-GP in the hands of the Spaniard confirmed that it is capable of battling consistently for the podium.
On the friendly Aragòn track, warmed by a decidedly summer climate, the leading group maintained an extraordinary pace. Espargarò started well from the second row, managing his position in fourth place during the early laps and even getting a taste of the podium. Only a drop in the finale kept him from launching the decisive attack against Joan Mir, but fourth place is still an extremely important result, also in terms of the championship: in fact, Aleix is now seventh in the rider standings with 96 points.
Finishing his first race for Aprilia, Maverick Viñales achieved the goal for the weekend, which is still to gain experience astride a new bike and on a new team. The Spanish rider’s feeling improves with every outing and the 23 days today represent an extremely important set of information and experience, especially in preparation for the 2022 season.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"In the race today, the pace was out of this world, especially at the front, and even physically I can’t remember too many Sundays that have been this demanding. I’m pleased with the position, but more than anything, with the consistency we’re demonstrating, which is still my primary goal for this season. Considering the fact that in the finale, since overtaking Mir for third was impossible and I had a good gap ahead of Miller, I increased the pace a bit, I was still able to keep up with the riders who were making the difference over the rest of the grid. This means that we can battle with anyone and on any track, which is a huge step forward for me and for Aprilia."
MAVERICK VIÑALES
"I’m satisfied with the weekend overall. We knew that the position wouldn’t be our primary objective. In fact, I used a slightly different setup in order to continue experimenting with this new bike and gather information. I started well – that’s the first positive note – and in terms of tyre management, I must also admit that the situation is good. Maybe if we had started a bit farther forward, we’d be talking about a different race, but the flying lap in practice is a question of confidence and that will come with time and miles. We are at a point that requires great effort and work, but I know that we’ll be successful in the end."
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BATTIPAV ENTERS MOTOGP WITH TEAM GRESINI
Team Flex-Box Gresini MotoGP has a new ally for the next two seasons in Battipav, a leading company in the production of machines and tools for the construction industry – who joins the Faenza-based squad as official sponsor.
Based in Cotignola, few kms away from Faenza, Battipav is an institution that operates at world level, including all the countries hosting a MotoGP World Championship event: this is surely a very important added value, which will give Battipav the chance to activate the sponsorship in the company’s most strategic markets.
The Battipav brand will be visible on the Ducati machines and riders’ leathers of Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio, as well as in the Gresini MotoGP garage and transportation vehicles.
STEFANO TONDINI – BATTIPAV OPERATIONS MANAGER
“We’re very happy with this new partnership, which will increase our visibility online and offline worldwide. We’re present in all the 22 countries of the upcoming season and our will be to allow a selected circle of partners and agens the thrill of motorcycle racing, as they will be in a prominent position at the racing weekends.”
CARLO MERLINI – GRESINI RACING COMMERCIAL AND MARKETING DIRECTOR
“Our MotoGP project is constantly evolving and we’re happy to announce Battipav as our new partner for the next two seasons. Battipav is a company from our territory and the feeling with them was strong and immediate, also thanks to a wide range of common values: leadership, international presence and team spirit. All the prerequisites are there to develop a strong and long-lasting partnership, so I would like to thank Stefano and his family for their trust in Gresini Racing’s projects.
#CiaoFausto
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MAVERICK VIÑALES ON THE TRACK WITH APRILIA FROM THE ARAGÓN GP
LORENZO SAVADORI WILD CARD IN THIS SEASON AND 2022 TEST RIDER
All the pieces have now fallen in place for the Aprilia Racing rider line-up after Maverick Viñales’ début astride the RS-GP during the two days of testing on the Misano Adriatico circuit.
The Spanish rider, extremely impressed by the first contact with the Italian team, will be on the track officially from the Aragón GP, scheduled to be held on the weekend of 12 September. He will take a spot on the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini alongside Aleix Espargaró, who just brought the Noale-based manufacturer their first podium in MotoGP at Silverstone.
Lorenzo Savadori will therefore be confirmed as test rider for the 2022 season, completing an extremely high level trio with the goal of continuing to improve the young RS-GP project. For the rest of the 2021 season, his presence on the track will not be lacking, taking advantage of the wild cards Aprilia has available. Lorenzo’s work schedule will be formalised as soon as he has recovered fully from the injury suffered during the Styria GP, a fractured right malleolus that required surgery.
MASSIMO RIVOLA - APRILIA RACING CEO
"We are extremely proud to be able to announce our plans for the current season and for 2022 with the goal of optimising the contributions of our three riders to the utmost. Alongside our confirmed rider, Aleix, it is our pleasure to welcome a talented athlete like Maverick to the Aprilia Racing team, who demonstrated a great feeling with the team and the bike straight away and who I am confident will be able to give his best as early as the Aragón GP. At the same time, we are also confirming Lorenzo’s role as 2022 test rider. This is a fundamental position that rewards the great efforts he has demonstrated in developing the new RS-GP, whereas he will finish out the 2021 season taking advantage of the wild cards that we’ll decide on together as soon as he is back to 100% fitness."
ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
"The decision to have Maverick on the track from Aragón is a direct result of the tests done in Misano. It was not a given that, after a career spent up to now on a bike with an in-line engine, Maverick would have a good feeling with our V4 straight away. This is why the test on this track, historically not an easy one for our bike, was an important moment of assessment. Therefore, we are satisfied with Maverick’s immediately positive reactions, which demonstrated a good feeling both with the RS-GP and with the team and our work method. His and Aleix’s talent, combined with the experience Lorenzo has gained this season, make us optimistic about the future of our MotoGP project.
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AT THE END OF A PERFECT RACE, ALEIX IS THIRD IN SILVERSTONE
A historic result, not only in terms of statistics. The first podium in MotoGP history arrived today in Silverstone at the end of a substantially perfect race by Aleix Espargaró. Aprilia had never before finished this high in the premier four-stroke motorcycle racing category. It was the best interpretation of a 2021 RS-GP that had everything except its christening in a race, after demonstrating exponential growth from the season start. The result is worth even more when we consider the current level of the championship, perhaps unparalleled on the world stage in terms of difficulty, with all the bikes on the grid within a few tenths of one another in every timed session.
It is a result with its roots in Noale, where an entire racing department has been working non-stop since the début year in 2015. With ups and downs but never losing sight of the goal: to take Aprilia to the point of competing with the best in the world, developing their technology on the track and improving step by step.
And, of course, our thoughts turn to Fausto Gresini, part of the Aprilia MotoGP family from the very start and, precisely for this reason, also part of today’s result.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"We’ve come so close. We have almost had it several times and finally we did it! A deserved podium that we’ve worked hard for and I dedicate, first and foremost, to Aprilia. The team has always worked to the utmost during these years. We have overcome difficult times together and now we are reaping the fruits of our labour. On the podium, I thought about Fausto, my family, and all the people who have been close to me. Our growth over the last two years has been extraordinary. We have improved in every aspect, but we needed a podium to lend credence to what we’ve done. I knew we had a chance today. We built our performance throughout all the sessions and I felt good in warm up this morning too. I had a few doubts at the start on tyre choice but in the end, we got it right. I lost a few positions at a certain point but I was able to recover, except on Fabio, who pulled away and created a gap. In the finale, I was struggling a bit with the front, but to compensate, I had good traction and that’s why I didn’t fight Jack in the braking sections, relying instead on crossing the trajectory and exploiting my acceleration. Now we need to celebrate and then get refocused straight away. There are more races coming up where we can be competitive. One podium can’t be enough to make us happy. We want more."
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