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Category: Superbikes
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MAVERICK IS EIGHTH AFTER A GREAT COMEBACK RIDE FROM TWENTIETH PLACE
ALEIX, STOPPED BY A TECHNICAL PROBLEM, LOSES THE CHANCE TO BATTLE FOR A TOP-5 SPOT
The complicated adaptation to the Buddh Circuit, a track that had never before been tested where the first GP of India was held, found the RS-GP machines ready for the race.
But Maverick, who had found a good setup in the warm-up session, was involved in contact on the first corner and he rejoined in twentieth place, at the back of the group. From there, he began a brilliant comeback ride, lapping at extremely fast times and executing spectacular passes and, exploiting a few crashes ahead of him, he finished with an eighth place that screams vendetta for the potential he had demonstrated.
Aleix, also involved in the contact at the start, managed instead to move into ninth place on the first lap, and then he battled for sixth with Binder, who was not far behind Mir (fifth). However, at the mid-race point, he was stopped by a technical problem which is currently being assessed by the Aprilia technicians who have already ruled out any engine failure. The outcome of the race then demonstrated the chance Aleix missed to take home a nice top-five placement.
ALEIX
"It’s a pity to finish the weekend this way. These were three difficult days but today, in spite of everything, I could have made a play for the top five and I felt rather good in the saddle. The problem happened suddenly. What I noticed throughout the weekend was the great amount of heat on the bike and this has created some problems for us in the past. It’s something that we need to analyse because other races in high temperatures are coming up. We don’t have much time available, but I hope that the Aprilia team will be able to resolve the problem."
MAVERICK
"On the first corner I was forced to go wide and found myself in last place. From there, I began to recover, pushing constantly to the limit. In any case, I am extremely happy because I felt very good on the bike. We made great improvements throughout the weekend. This morning in the warm-up session we found a setting that allowed me to brake hard, which was exactly where we struggled most here in India, and the race was the best session of the entire weekend. I really think that we are leaving India having made a huge step forward."
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The still-injured shoulder halted Fabio Di Giannantonio’s journey to what would have been a very promising top-nine finish at Buddh International Circuit in what was the first-ever #IndianGP of MotoGP history. It was a performance full of heart for the Italian, who got all the way up to eighth place before giving during the final laps due to a painful left shoulder.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for the Italian, who well impressed both in Q1 and in the sprint race yesterday – the latter finished in the top ten. It will be key to recover as much as possible for the Japanese event taking place next weekend.
Meanwhile, Alex Marquez is already on the way back to Madrid where he will need around ten days of full rest before heading to Lombok for the #IndonesianGP. The Spaniard, who will not attend the Japanese Grand Prix, will not be replaced.
DNF - FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49
“I was having an excellence race, I had a great pace and the top speed was better compared to yesterday. I started off in an aggressive way as I could do that and the bike was excellent. We have been competitive throughout the whole weekend but unfortunately at some point the shoulder prevented me from riding. I basically couldn’t control the bike anymore and was forced to retire. I’m really sorry for the team, unfortunately this is an injury I’ve been carrying since Misano and it’s making things more complicated for us.”
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MAVERICK EIGHTH IN THE SPRINT RACE, ALEIX CRASHES OUT
The good start from yesterday, unfortunately did not continue on qualifying and Sprint day. Maverick and Aleix struggled more than expected on the technical and demanding Indian track, both in qualifying and in the Sprint race.
Fortunately, the rainfall did not influence the sessions beyond delaying the start of the Sprint Race, in any case held on basically dry asphalt. In qualifying, the Aprilia riders were unable to do better than the ninth (Maverick) and tenth (Aleix) best times. In the Sprint Race, Aleix lost a lot of ground on the first turn avoiding the crashed bikes and then he crashed out in the finale as he attempted to make up positions. Maverick finished in the points with eighth place – a positive note along with Raùl Fernandez’s top-10 finish – but certainly not in line with his and the team’s ambitions.
ALEIX
"Let’s be realistic – it was not a good day. Yesterday, the feeling was good, whereas today the others improved more than we did. Less than perfect qualifying meant starting from behind and then on the first turn I had to go wide to get around the crashed bikes, so in my eagerness to make up positions, I crashed. In the long race, I expect to battle at least in the top six. With more laps to race, there is space to exploit our pace better."
MAVERICK
"We had some difficulties on the braking sections again today. The positive thing is that in the Sprint race we collected a lot of information on how to work in view of tomorrow. During weekends like this one, where we struggle more than expected, the important thing is to stay calm and use the difficulties to grow and learn. By understanding the situation and finding a way to react, we are able to improve."
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A GREAT BRAND RESULT FOR APRILIA WITH THREE BIKES IN THE TOP EIGHT
Maverick Viñales took another positive placement in the top five, finishing fifth at the GP of San Marino and the Riviera of Rimini. Taking the position just behind the leaders in the early stages of the race, Maverick basically maintained his pace all the way to the end, almost never having to engage in battle.
In the Emilia Romagna GP, Aprilia achieved a nice brand result with three RS-GP machines finishing in the top eight. In fact, in addition to Maverick’s fifth place, Miguel Oliveira and Raùl Fernandez finished sixth and eighth respectively. The team RNF standard bearers thereby contributed to confirmation of what the Aprilias had demonstrated on Saturday in qualifying, when four went through to Q2.
In the race, Aleix Espargaró’s sharp performance was missing after winning just seven days ago in Barcelona. He substantially compromised his performance in the early stages after the start, dropping back several positions. An analysis of his pace shows speed similar to that of the top-5 finishers, but difficulty overtaking kept him from achieving a better position. His 12th place means four Important points in the hunt for fourth place in the overall championship standings.
ALEIX
“The result is obviously not good, but I gambled away the race at the start. I lost positions and found myself in a group where we all had a very similar pace. Struggling to overtake, despite laptimes that were actually good, I was unable to do better than I did. We knew that this would be a complicated track for us, both for the characteristics of the RS-GP and because I don’t particularly like the layout. From here on out, I have good feelings, plus we’ll be able to use the test tomorrow to try some solutions to improve in these conditions.”
MAVERICK
“Being disappointed with a top-5 finish is a good sign. It means that we have raised the bar and we want to stay out front. I expected more this weekend – I won’t hide that – but we struggled more than expected when grip increased, especially in braking. It’s a question of balance – compromise in the setup – that we need to work on. Already in the test tomorrow, I definitely want to improve in braking in these conditions.”
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A TASTE OF 2024 AND REFINEMENTS FOR 2023: ALEIX, MAVERICK, MIGUEL, AND RAÙL AT WORK IN THE MISANO TESTS
The action at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli did not end with the races yesterday but continued with a day of official MotoGP testing today. These were two sessions that Aprilia dedicated to both the initial 2024 material tests and refinements to the 2023 package. This was the case for the factory team, whereas in the RNF camp, Miguel Oliveira had the chance to throw a leg over the latest evolution of the RS-GP.
Overall, it was a positive day, and not only from a “times” point of view. Preparation for the long series of overseas rounds which will begin with India in two weeks has Aprilia in a good situation, both technically and in terms of high morale. On the other side of things, looking towards 2024, work is moving right along, with the team well aware that they already have an extremely competitive base.
ALEIX
“With Aprilia we are at a level where no revolutionary changes are necessary. To the contrary, we need to avoid the risk of creating confusion. The Test Team is working hard, the engineers have a lot of data to analyse, and from here to Valencia, they’ll have time to prepare the 2024 material. We’ve already tested some things – a different frame with pros and cons and a lot of components. We also know how particular this track is, especially after a race weekend, so it isn’t the ideal setting to draw conclusions. We have a series of races ahead of us where we have every possibility of doing well.”
MAVERICK
“The test went well. Our goal was to improve in braking and we found some interesting solutions, at the same time continuing work on the start and the way the bike performs in high grip conditions. Personally, I feel good in the saddle. I know we’ll be able to take another step forward, but I’m already having fun riding this Aprilia.”
ROMANO ALBESIANO
“Very interesting day, with the few tests available and the many things to try it is always complex to organise the work. Using these opportunities well can make the difference, we can consider ourselves satisfied. We are laying the foundations of our 2024 project, which will not be a revolution but a careful evolution of an already very performing package. Every piece of data and every comparison helps us to define the technical path to follow. In addition to Aleix and Maverick's input, Miguel's comment on his first outing with the latest RS-GP was important. He is a fast rider but at the same time precise and analytical, he can help us on our path of growth.”
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