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Category: Moto GP
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GOOD SENSATIONS FOR ESPARGARÓ AND REDDING ON THE SECOND DAY OF TESTS
In the Aprilia garage, the work programme is divided, but the sensations at the end of the second day of tests in Qatar are similar. In fact, both Espargaró and Redding are satisfied with the way the tests are going, the last ones before the season opener.
Espargaró went out on the track with different chassis settings looking for more confidence on the Losail asphalt and his feeling at the end of the day satisfied the Spanish rider. Tomorrow Aleix will work toward improving, especially in braking and acceleration, before doing a race simulation long run.
This is a simulation that Scott Redding did toward the end of the session today, completing about 15 laps with excellent times and consistency. The new entry in the Aprilia camp confirmed the quality of the Italian V4 in terms of proper tyre wear management, able to use a soft tyre on several laps without evident signs of deterioration.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"We have to be happy. We are making progress and working hard. I still don’t feel like I’m at my best braking, but overall I am satisfied with the way the tests are going. We are struggling to take full advantage of the new tyre for a fast lap, but we are competitive in terms of pace. I am very curious to see my race simulation tomorrow and what the others will do in order to have a more concrete idea of what our potential could be over race distance. As for what we’ve seen up to now, and counting on improving more, I think that we will be able to demonstrate a good pace."
SCOTT REDDING
"Today we weren’t focusing on lap times, but we worked to prepare for the final long run. I had done one in Thailand that did not satisfy me, whereas here, despite starting later than race time, things went rather well. The times and the easy ride satisfied me, although there is still work to be done in order to increase the edge grip. I used a soft tyre on the rear, which is new for me, and I was surprised at how good condition it was in at the end and how my feeling improved lap after lap."
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APRILIA HONES THEIR WEAPONS IN THE WIND TUNNEL
The 2018 is by now just around the corner and preparations are underway in earnest in the Aprilia Racing Department to refine the new RS-GP before the Championship opener. One of the development steps, after the new prototype made its début in the Sepang tests, concerns aerodynamics. This is a topic that has gained notoriety thanks to the appearance of winglets, a visible and obvious part, but one that is the subject of constant research.
Aprilia's work was conducted on a day of tests in the Perugia University wind tunnel and it involved both riders. Aleix Espargaró and Scott Redding tackled the aerodynamic tests upon their return from the tests in Thailand. The results of the tunnel findings are providing the base for the evolutions that will be applied to the 2018 RS-GP.
ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
"Aerodynamic research has by now become an integral part of development on a modern MotoGP bike. Not only in terms of the winglets, which are the most visible expression of it, but because on an extremely level playing field, every little detail becomes a determining factor. Aleix and Scott have extremely different physical characteristics which therefore require diversified aerodynamic refinements in order to optimise efficiency. The tests in the wind tunnel are just a part of the aerodynamics study, which also consists in computer simulations and checks that are conducted directly on the track. We will bring a first version of the aerodynamics package for the 2018 RS-GP to Qatar, whereas a second evolution will be planned once the season is underway."
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Talented youngster Adam Mclean will have a full complement of machinery for the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy and the other international road races in 2018 having signed for quinnestheprinters.com by Team IMR.
The Ulsterman will campaign a BMW S1000RR in the RST Superbike and RL360º Quantum Superstock TT Races and a Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Monster Energy Supersport Races with the team having recently purchased the ex-Ian Hutchinson 600cc machine from Raceways Motorcycles.
McLean will also have the use of the machinery for the other International races and selected Irish National road races and will continue to have the support of Roy Hanna Motors for the Lightweight class while he will continue to be supported by Metzeler tyres for his 2018 campaign.
The 21-year old has been a standout performer in the last two seasons, impressing in all of his races, especially at the International events where he has made a more than favourable impression, particularly in 2017 where he took a brilliant fourth in the second Supersport race at the North West 200 and third in the Ulster Grand Prix Supertwins race.
He also took sixth in the opening Supertwins race at the North West 200 and tenth in the first Supersport 600cc race at the Ulster GP, improving his quickest lap around the Dundrod circuit to 125.535mph.
The Magherafelt rider also made his debut at the Isle of Man TT races in 2017, winning the coveted Newcomers Trophy after finishing 18th in the opening Monster Energy Supersport 600cc race where he lapped at an impressive 120.644mph, the fifth fastest lap ever recorded by a newcomer on a 600cc machine, and won a silver replica. He was on course for a brilliant top ten finish in the Bennetts Lightweight race after lapping at more than 115mph before being forced to retire on the third lap.
McLean was a consistent front runner at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough, taking regular podium finishes in the Supersport and Supertwins races and finished third, fourth and fifth overall in the Irish Road Racing Supertwins, Supersport 600cc and Moto3 Championships respectively.
Adam McLean:
“I’m really looking forward to working with quinnstheprinters.com by Team IMR in 2018 and am very grateful for the opportunity. I’ll be riding top class machinery with a superb infrastructure behind me which will hopefully enable me to be successful and build on my 2017 results so I can’t wait to get going!”
Peter Bradley, Managing Director of quinnstheprinters.com commented;
"quinnstheprinters.com are delighted to be the title sponsor of Team IMR and we are thrilled the team has secured the services of Adam McLean for the 2018 road racing season. As part of the Bradley Group which has operations in England and the Isle of Man as well as a base in Northern Ireland, the company places a huge emphasis on supporting young local talent and we believe that with the right backing, Adam has the capability to achieve considerable success and build on his highly impressive 2017 season. We look forward to getting him on the bike during our Spanish testing programme in February and wish him all the best for a safe and enjoyable 2018 season.”
Jason Griffiths, Racing Manager, Metzeler UK said;
“It was a real pleasure to work with Adam this year in what was his breakthrough season. He obviously has great potential and at Metzeler we look forward to continuing our partnership with Adam and seeing him gain more experience at the International Road Races in 2018. When Metzeler started the Road Race programme in 2013 a young Dean Harrison joined us and we firmly believe Adam is capable of the same progression. Good luck to Adam and Team IMR with their new venture.”
Ian Moffitt, Team Principal of quinnstheprinters.com by Team IMR added;
“It’s fantastic to have signed Adam for the 2018 roads season. Given our initial focus on the British Championship and securing Chrissy Rouse and Jordan Gilbert for the Superstock 1000 BSB campaign, we feared we had missed out on signing a quality roads rider for 2018. However, having learnt that Adam was available and after a discussion with Peter Bradley, we were able to come to an agreement on running Adam at the International road races which is hugely exciting for the team.”


“Adam will have a full stable of bikes to compete in the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport clases at the NW200, TT and UGP with the use of our two 2017 BMW S1000RRs as well as Ian Hutchinson’s 2017 front-running Yamaha R6, which will all run on Metzeler tyres for whom we are very grateful for their support. Adam will also compete at some of the BSB and national road races throughout the season and we are extremely excited to be working with one of today’s most talented riders in road racing. We would not be able to do what we are doing without the support of all our partners but especially Peter and quinnstheprinters.com.”
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The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team wraps up the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship with a solid performance by Jake Gagne, who was twelfth again at the end of the 17-lap, final encounter of the season at the Losail International Circuit. Gagne’s team mate Davide Giugliano was declared unfit to race following an outbreak of gastroenteritis.
Gagne got a good launch from 17th place on the grid and – after a few laps – he got up to speed on board his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 machine and made his way into the top-15. In the first half of the race, the 24-year-old American lapped consistently in the 1’59secs – a pace which helped him consolidate twelfth position as the laps went by. Gagne then rode a lonely second part of the final encounter to equal yesterday’s race one result, albeit with a smaller gap to the top.
The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team will begin preparations for the 2018 FIM Superbike World Championship with a private test on November 22-24 at ‘Circuito de Jerez’ in Spain.
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Jake Gagne has taken fifth place in today’s 17-lap, opening race of the 2017 WorldSBK season finale at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, equalling his best finish in the series scored in his previous appearance at Magny-Cours a month ago. His Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team mate Davide Giugliano was forced to an early retirement at the end of lap six.
Gagne got a decent launch from eighteenth place on the grid and had a competitive opening lap, as he made his way past some rivals to enter the top-15. As the race progressed, the 24-year-old from San Diego battled with Guarnoni for eleventh position before consolidating twelth place in the latter stages of the encounter.
Giugliano got a good launch from the fifteenth slot of the grid and was able to move up two places as the World Superbike field entered turn one. The 28-year-old Italian then started to lose ground and was passed by his team mate Gagne, before making his way back to the pits and pull out of the race.
The final race of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship will get underway tomorrow at 21:00 local time (GMT +3), with Giugliano and Gagne again 15th and 18th, respectively, on the starting grid.
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