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Category: Superbikes
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Aleix and Bradley finished in the points in a race which was chaotic, to say the least. During the eighth lap on the Red Bull Ring, an incredible smash up brought out the red flag and forced a second start, for a second race, shortened to 20 laps. Starting from the tenth (Aleix) and fifteenth (Bradley) position on the grid, the two Aprilia riders concluded the Sunday race in the points, respectively in eleventh and fourteenth place.
This end result does not entirely satisfy Aleix, who felt perfectly at ease after the first start and less incisive in the second. Next week, once again on the Austrian circuit, the team will pick up from the good sensations of the first eight laps.
Bradley had an outstanding second start, moving into the top ten. The English rider then managed tyre wear with a prudent finale, where he fended off the attacks of his adversaries to finish in the points.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I cannot be entirely satisfied. In the first race I felt very good, managing to maintain the pace of the best, but in the second, I did not find the same sensations. I didn’t want to switch to the medium tyre, so I had to use one soft with a few laps on it. Evidently, with a shortened race, our rivals were able to use a bit of extra grip that kept us from battling like we had during the first eight laps. In any case, I gave 100% and I’ll continue to do so. Maybe we just need to use our heads and not our hearts, getting the most out of the technical package."
BRADLEY SMITH
"I had two great starts and I am very pleased about that. The second race definitely went better, although towards the end I had to manage tyre wear and fuel a bit and that kept me from holding onto my advantage over Pirro and Márquez. In any case, overall it was a solid weekend, where we took some steps in the right direction, including during the race. It was a pity not to be able to use a new tyre for the second start like other riders did. I wanted to stay with the soft, but I didn’t have any others available. We need to keep working hard because in warm-up, the bike gave me the right feeling. It would be a step forward if we could manage to maintain that feeling in the afternoon with the higher temperatures too."
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Although the position on the grid after qualifying is not the sensational one from Brno, Aleix Espargaró is optimistic at the end of the Austrian Saturday. On a track that has historically been complicated for Aprilia, the Spanish rider once again confirmed his improved feeling astride the 2020 RS-GP. An in-depth analysis of his performance demonstrates this. In a scenario where the pole position time has worsened compared to 2019, Aleix shaved six tenths off his best time from last season. This is an important and concrete signal even if we shift our attention to an analysis of the race pace.
Bradley also demonstrated substantial growth in terms of the technical package, which is possibly not as evident because of how young the project is. The constant changes to the setup which, on one hand contribute to increasing the team’s and riders’ knowledge of the new bike, on the other hand, do not make it simple to find the best lap time. These first races should be seen as an "investment", destined to bear fruit in the future.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I'm quite satisfied, to be honest. The 2020 RS-GP has confirmed that it is a step ahead here too compared to last year. Let’s not forget that this track is less than ideal for us, so having a good feeling in Austria is very important for me. What race result can we aim for? I don’t see the top 10 as far off - to the contrary. Any worse result would leave a bitter taste in my mouth. The weather conditions will be fundamental, but above all, we will need to stay focused and avoid any mistakes on the important braking sections of this track."
BRADLEY SMITH
"It may seem strange, but we’re making progress. We are still in a phase where it is important to work on the balance of the bike, changing the setup often in order to figure out how this new bike will react. It’s a job divided up between Aleix and me. When you do this, doing the best times may become more complicated, but we are building a base for this season and for next year. I am pleased that I have not had any of the chattering problems we were worried about in Brno and here. For tomorrow, the goal is to stay in the group and not push past the limit. Riding in the race alongside the other riders is a fundamental opportunity to grow the 2020 RS-GP."
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DIFFICULT RACE FOR BRADLEY WITH POOR GRIP
In the Brno race, Aleix Espargaró took great advantage of his fourth spot on the grid, starting well and taking the Aprilia RS-GP into the leading group straight away. In an extremely complicated race, the Spanish rider managed the situation, limiting the damage caused by tyre wear and not taking any pointless risks. The goal was to finish the race, earning the first points of the season; mission accomplished with a tenth-place finish when the chequered flag came out, about 8 seconds behind the podium. This is a “ground zero” spot for Aleix and his team to build on for the rest of the season.
Bradley Smith, on the other hand, battled with a lack of grip - a circumstance similar to what had happened in Jerez, but aggravated by the characteristics of the Portuguese track. This was all in spite of a good start, where Bradley managed to stay with the group of riders battling in the points zone, but having to rethink his ambitions after a few laps.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I'm pleased that I finished the race after what happened in Jerez, although I can’t be entirely happy. Unfortunately, we were not as incisive in the race as we were in qualifying. I didn’t have the pace to stay with the best. However, on one side, we stayed in the top 10 on a track where we struggle historically, and this can be the real ground zero for the start of our season. We need to work especially on acceleration and on speed in mid-turn, although on the latter aspect maybe the two crashes in Jerez had an impact, convincing me to take fewer risks. In any case, I want to see the glass as half full, so we are staying positive and focused. We know our limits and we need to give it our all to solve the problems."
BRADLEY SMITH
"The start and the early stages of the race were good and it was definitely nice to see Aleix so far out front. Unfortunately, my pace got worse after a few laps. Similar to what happened in Jerez, I started battling with rear grip early on. In any case, finishing the race lets us gather more important data to help our project grow. It seems like we’ll have some new features to test from the next race, and that is very important."
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Team Gresini Racing, title holder in the MotoE World Cup, confirms for 2020 the partnership started two years ago with Trentino Marketing, which led to Trentino becoming the main sponsor of the Romagna-based outfit.
This partnership adds another piece this year with a promotional agreement with the team led by reigning title winner Matteo Ferrari, which sees the two innovation hubs of Trentino Sviluppo on the front row: Polo Meccatronica (Mechatronics Hub) with its lab of rapid prototyping ProM Facility, and Progetto Manifattura (Manufacturing Project) – Be Factory designed to host innovative realities related to sustainable mobility and sport-tech.
But it is not just marketing. Trentino Sviluppo has also made available its technologies and technical-scientific expertise to develop – together with Team Gresini – some very-innovative components to make the bike ridden by Matteo Ferrari even more competitive.
Among those there are new foot pegs, handguards and a tool to facilitate the setting of handlebars by mechanics. Small innovations which can make a difference in a one-make championship such as MotoE in which bikes are almost identical.
Nicola Polito - Trentino Sviluppo Operations Director
“Trentino Sviluppo joined an already existing partnership by adding the innovative technological expertise of the Mechatronic Hub innovative laboratory. In this historical phase marked by the growing importance of sustainable and clean mobility, there have been significant investments from the Autonomous Province of Trentino through Be Factory, with the goal to support the companies that wish to invest in the development of highly innovative products and services. Be Factory ties perfectly with the idea of Team Trentino Gresini MotoE, because that is the place where new products and services related to sustainable mobility, sporting performance technology, biotechnologies and home automation will come to life. Knowledge applied to corporate activity will manifest into tomorrow’s products.”
Fausto Gresini - Team manager Trentino Gresini MotoE
“Our partnership with Trentino Sviluppo is surely a precious one for us. We have designed some components together to improve the rider’s comfort aboard the bike and I must say that the results are great. We’re therefore happy to be working together with a company with such attention to details that also focuses on professionalism, passion and determination.”
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CRASH FOR ALEIX WHILST BATTLING FOR A TOP-10 POSITION
ANOTHER SOLID RACE IN THE POINTS FOR BRADLEY
The race had started on the right foot for Aleix Espargaró in Jerez de la Frontera, quick off the grid and able to make up five positions during the first lap. Once he was in the battle for the top 10, the Spanish rider began to settle into his pace until an unfortunate crash on the ninth lap kept him from finishing this double round with a smile.
Bradley Smith, on the other hand, had to deal with all the confusion on the first turn, involved with contact that was no fault of his own which forced him to slow down. Back in the mix, Bradley rode a judicious race and, thanks in part to a few DNFs, finished twelfth when the chequered flag came out. It’s a result that earns 4 championship points for the new Aprilia RS-GP.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"There isn’t much to say. I'm disappointed and sorry for the team who, after many hours of hard work, did not have the satisfaction of finishing the race. I had a good start, but in order to maintain the pace with my rivals, apparently I need to take more risks and ride very close to the limit, especially in mid-turn to help acceleration. I know that starting the season with two DNFs isn’t the greatest, but I always go into the races giving 100% to take Aprilia to a position to battle with the best."
BRADLEY SMITH
"In this second race, we made some progress, especially in managing to contain the gap with the rider ahead of me. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of time on the first corner, having to slow down a lot to avoid the fallen riders. I made the smartest choice, without taking pointless risks. It was a pity because I would have liked staying in the group. One of the positive aspects is certainly the fact that we were able to finish both races without any serious problems and I know that the guys already have some solutions ready to solve some of the issues that came out during these two weekends."
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