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Category: Superbikes
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ON THE CZECH TRACK BAUTISTA AND BRADL ARE READY TO CONFIRM THE PROGRESS MADE BY THE RS-GP
Just a few days after the Austrian GP, MotoGP is back on the track at Brno, the historic Czech Republic circuit. It is a race with high expectations for the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini following the progress demonstrated at the Red Bull Ring in terms of technical growth for the fledgling RS-GP.
Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl, who both had their race in Austria compromised by a double ride through because of jump starts, showed absolutely respectable times during the race in terms of pace. On a track like Brno, theoretically more suited to the qualities of the Aprilia technical package than the Austrian track, all the conditions are there to aim for a good result.
ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
“Brno is a track where we were able to bring home points last year with both riders. On paper, it seems to suit our bike well. We are coming from a weekend where tangible progress was seen. In the Czech Republic, we'll aim to confirm that progress by maximizing the result. Specifically, we will be working with qualifying in mind, a situation where we still have some limitations. We are looking good in terms of race pace, whereas in qualifying our rivals manage to improve their performance by about a half a second. By not succeeding in being incisive on the flying lap, we are often forced to start from behind and that makes managing the race much more complicated. In particular we will be working on the rear settings, looking for more grip that will allow us to exploit the performance of the qualifying tyre”.
FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER
“We are coming to Brno determined to bounce back. Despite the result, conditioned by the penalties assigned to both our riders for a jump start, at the Red Bull Ring we had excellent feedback on the competitiveness of the RS-GP. In fact, during the race, Alvaro made top-six lap times, demonstrating that a big step forward has been taken. The technical innovations Aprilia brought, including engine changes, proved to be effective and in the Czech Republic we would like to reap the benefits of this progress. We know that we can do well, so it will be important to stay focused and not make any mistakes”.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“We are coming to Brno highly motivated. Despite the jump start problem and the display issue, in Austria performance throughout the weekend was positive, especially in terms of our race pace. The track is very different. There are no demanding braking sections like at the Red Bull Ring, but you need to make sure the bike flows well. Technically, you need a bike that is both easy to handle and that has good acceleration. The straights are not very long, but they are rather demanding in terms of power. I think that the advantages we found in Austria with the new engine will also help us in Brno. We will start off focused straight away from Friday, with the goal of finding a good pace and perhaps also improving performance in qualifying”.
STEFAN BRADL
“Having a race straight away after the Austrian round gives us the chance to bounce back immediately. The circuit definitely suits the RS-GP better than the Red Bull Ring, so our chances of showing our competitive we are increase straight away. Last year, in my second race with Aprilia, I made a good finish in the points after a positive weekend. We will need to stay focused and set our sights on the best possible result”.
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BRADL AND BAUTISTA'S RS-GP MACHINES ON THE SEVENTH ROW
Sunday at the Red Bull Ring promises to be fiery, and not only because of the temperatures that are back to pleasant summer values. On the second day of practice on the Austrian circuit, the MotoGP riders saw their times drop as the conditions improved, as well as the gaps: just over 2 seconds separated the first from the last in the FP3 and FP4 standings, with an extremely compact ranking, especially in the central pack.
These are positions just outside of the top 10 for which the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders are battling.
On one of the most difficult circuits because of the characteristics of the RS-GP, Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl worked mainly in view of the race. The goal is to manage to maintain a consistent pace, setting up the bike so that it is easy to ride and stable in the violent Austrian braking sections.
In qualifying, the Aprilia riders had to reckon with the difficulty of expressing the potential they had demonstrated on the flying lap, for example, in terms of race pace. In particular, Bautista lost tenths in the more flowing section, a direct consequence of a setting oriented more toward stability than handling. Bradl, on the other hand, had to face a less than perfect feeling in braking.
Both Alvaro and Stefan will work on these parameters with the Aprilia technicians as they look for solutions to test in the warm up that will allow them, in the race, to improve on the 19th and 21st positions they achieved in qualifying, placing both of them on the seventh row.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
"Tomorrow anything could happen. On a track where overtaking is complicated, the start is crucial. From a physical point of view, this is not a circuit that creates particular problems, so we'll need to push throughout the entire race, maintaining a good pace. From this point of view, I am satisfied with the work we've done so far. The gaps behind the top 10 are extremely close and we are in a good position in terms of pace. Even the improvements to power are small but tangible along the entire output range. For tomorrow we will try to improve the ride: when you set up a stable bike, inevitably you lose something in handling, so we will try to find a good compromise".
STEFAN BRADL
"Compared to yesterday we were able to work much better, thanks in part to the improved conditions. I am still struggling to get the bike stopped the way I would like to. We knew that it would not be easy on this track, but looking at the gaps, I think that with another step forward in terms of setup, the situation could improve. We will try to work on braking during warm up. Right now it seems like this is the phase that is limiting us the most. For us, every weekend is a race unto itself. With a completely new bike like the RS-GP and particular circuit like this one, we need time to put all the pieces of the puzzle in the right place".
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The Honda WorldSBK Team is pleased to announce the signing of 26-year-old Stefan Bradl from Germany for the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship. Crowned Moto2 World Champion in 2011, Bradl will join former MotoGP™ Champion Nicky Hayden to complete a stellar line-up for Honda next season.
Despite his young age, Bradl has a wealth of experience at international level. Since his 125cc debut in 2005, he has collected nineteen podium finishes and seven wins across all Grand Prix classes. After winning the Moto2 World Championship in 2011, Stefan made his MotoGP debut with the LCR Honda Team in 2012 where his best result was a second-place finish at Laguna Seca in 2013.
The Honda WorldSBK Team would like to thank Michael van der Mark for his outstanding efforts and title-winning contribution during his tenure as a Honda rider. The team will maintain its unconditional support for Michael for the remainder of the season, with the goal of achieving the best possible results.
The Honda WorldSBK Team is pleased to confirm that its riders for the 2017 season will be Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl.
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ALVARO BAUTISTA: "TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE MISANO TESTS"
STEFAN BRADL: "FLOWING TRACK, A GOOD FIT FOR OUR SETTINGS"
A charming and historical track will host round 12 on the 2016 MotoGP calendar. The Silverstone circuit, a former RAF military airstrip and the first track to host a Formula 1 race, has various points of interest. Fast and flowing, it always provides spectacular races, attracting large and enthusiastic crowds. The unpredictable weather conditions also add another variable.
The Aprilia RS-GP machines ridden by Stefan Bradl and Alvaro Bautista arrive in the United Kingdom after the Misano tests, where both riders continued the development programme. Some of the solutions used on the Italian track are ready to be implemented at Silverstone.
Both the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders like the layout of the English circuit. Last year, Alvaro Bautista took one of his best race results right here on the fast corners of Silverstone, with a tenth place finish.
ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
"Silverstone is definitely a complex track where, in any case, both Alvaro and Stefan demonstrated good race performance last year, despite the wet conditions. We are arriving here after the Misano tests that were rather important, with many parts tested and a further push forward in our continuous development process on the RS-GP. In England we will have some chassis upgrades and a modified gearbox with neutral lock, whereas after Brno we did an in depth analysis of traction control operation, improving reactions in situations where the grip condition varies during the race".
FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER
"In the last two races we did not reap much, although we actually worked quite hard. We are putting forth a lot of effort with great dedication and, in fact, right after Brno we went to Misano where we conducted tests both with the two factory riders and with the test team. Aprilia is increasing efforts toward the goal of making further progress and obviously, we are seeking to accompany them down this path. We are coming to Silverstone ready for battle. We need a good result and we will give 100% in order to achieve it because it would be a great confidence booster in view of the important upcoming home round at Misano".
ALVARO BAUTISTA
"I like Silverstone a lot. It is a fun ride. The weather is crucial here. It can change from one moment to the next between rain and sunny skies, so it is a factor that must be watched. After the Misano tests I think we will be able to implement some new ideas on the track, taking the best advantage of the tests. I hope to have a good weekend, working well in every session. Having top-10 potential on race day would be a great result for us".
STEFAN BRADL
"We expect a demanding weekend, but one that we are tackling after the good tests conducted at Misano. We have a lot of material to confirm on a new track. I think that some of the things used in the tests will be useful for us. I would like to have stable weather conditions so we can continue this development effort. The track is fast and flowing. It should suit be a good fit for our settings that usually perform well on this type of layout".
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TWO DAYS OF TESTS FOR BAUTISTA, LOWES AND DI MEGLIO ON THE NEW AUSTRIAN CIRCUIT
The MotoGP riders had a chance to discover the Austrian Red Bull Ring circuit, one of the new additions to the 2016 calendar. Characterised by hard braking, fast acceleration and steep slope changes, the new track will host the next round on the weekend of 14 August.
Only Alvaro Bautista was on the track for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, whereas his teammate, Stefan Bradl, is still recovering after his crash during the warm-up session at the Sachsenring last weekend.
Two more RS-GP machines available to the Aprilia Test Team were ridden by tester Mike Di Meglio and Same Lowes, the English rider currently on the Gresini Moto2 Team, on his second time out with the Italian MotoGP bike that he will ride next season. Sam is continuing his apprenticeship on the RS-GP that began recently in Misano, completing 58 laps on the first day of testing.
Bautista focused on preparatory tests for the race, therefore working on the chassis and electronics setup, in addition to tyre choice. The Austrian track proved to be rather particular straight away. There are a lot of blind corners and the braking and acceleration sections become extremely important, just as much as engine performance that is put to the test on the long, uphill straight stretches. Alvaro also conducted some comparative tests with a new type of front wing and the lighter swingarm that had already been tested at the Sachsenring, two elements that will require further evaluation.
The results in terms of times were satisfactory, with Alvaro taking 166 laps over the course of the two days.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“On this new track you need a lot of engine and a stable bike in braking and acceleration. We worked with these goals, finding some interesting solutions in terms of the race. We still need to do some more testing on the lighter swingarm though. I'm still not certain that it provides an advantage. I should also point out that this is a rather particular track, so it is quite difficult to make comparisons. In terms of safety, on the other hand, I think there are a few spots with very little space and close to the walls. Before the race it would be good to think about a few solutions, especially given the high speeds”.
SAM LOWES
“After the first contact in Misano, I'm beginning to feel more and more at ease astride the RS-GP. It is a positive trend. I improved every time I went out and we began to work on the bike setup to adapt it to my riding style. We have more tests scheduled with Aprilia, but at the moment I am pleased with the level we have achieved. The track is very nice. There are some tight corners and flowing sections. Overall it's fun. It isn't very difficult to learn; you just have to remember the right reference points on the blind corners. Let's just say that, after riding the RS-GP, the straight stretches will seem even longer with the Moto2 bike!”.
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