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Category: Moto GP
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EIGHTH PLACE FOR THE SPANIARD IN FP2, SAM LOWES IMPROVING
Practice conditioned by the weather has by now become a constant factor of recent MotoGP rounds. Even in Austria, the first day began on dry asphalt but under looming clouds which obviously influenced the teams' plans.
Aleix Espargaró, not entirely at ease in the early laps of FP1, continued working on the setup for his RS-GP throughout the session, using only one set of tyres and without ever attempting the final time attack in view of qualifying as almost all the other riders on the track did. His fifteenth place time in FP1 therefore did not worry the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, a sensation that was confirmed by Aleix's outstanding performance in FP2. After the rain, the Austrian track dried out progressively during the second session, allowing him to improve his time by almost one second. His 1'24.726 earned him ninth place in the combined standings and provisionally sends him straight through to Q2 tomorrow.
There was a lot of work for Sam Lowes, skilfully shaving off almost a half a second from one session to the next and eighteenth in the combined standings with a time of 1'25.270.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I am happy with the way we finished the day, because this morning I did not have a good feeling with the RS-GP. Especially in braking, so much that we decided to try a big change in the geometry. Precisely for this reason, I did not use a soft tyre at the end of FP1, finishing quite far back in the standings. Fortunately, in the afternoon we had a dry track to work with, reconfirming the bike's improvements and gaining provisional access to Q2. I also tried the aerodynamic fairing. On this track, where wheelies are a problem, I found some benefits that we will continue to test."
SAM LOWES
"Things did not go too badly for the first day. I improved on the 2016 Aprilia times and that is a first important step for me. The first half of FP2 was a bit difficult because of the track conditions, but toward the end we had dry asphalt and a good temperature, continuing to do a lot of work on the bike. I had fun. At the end of the day we got close to the top ten times, so I am feeling optimistic about tomorrow."
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APRILIA UPGRADES PUT TO THE TEST BY A RATHER PARTICULAR TRACK
The second MotoGP race after the summer break has the top class teams taking on the historic Austrian Red Bull Ring. Opened in 1969, it has been completely revamped, becoming one of the most modern structures on the championship calendar. Its almost 6 kilometres of asphalt are characterized by long straights separated by demanding braking sections that put rider and bike to a rather severe test, but different than the other rounds on the calendar.
The technical upgrades introduced from the Brno race by the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini on the RS-GP machines piloted by Espargaró and Lowes were appreciated immediately by both riders. In fact, they see the Austrian track as the best possible test bench for them. After the good feedback received during the race weekend, the upgrades were confirmed in the post-race tests in the Czech Republic.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"The Austrian track is a strange one, very different from all the others on the calendar. Last year I had fun here. It is a track where the engine counts for a lot. With the steps forward we have made recently during the Brno weekend I am confident. I am truly curious too because already last year the Aprilia RS-GP had a good pace here and did one of its most competitive races of the season."
SAM LOWES
"During the Brno tests we did a lot of work in view of this race. The initial part of braking is where I still struggle to get the best out of the RS-GP, but I think that the tests on Monday helped us to take a big step forward. The new technical package Aprilia introduced in the Czech Republic should help us. This is a start-and-stop track where braking and acceleration are crucial."
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- New line-up of retro-liveried Yamaha YZF-R1s revealed
- World Champions Gardner, Spencer and Read in action
- Bike Legends team wins Celebrity Challenge race
World GP Bike Legends served up a stirring and spectacular show at the recent Silverstone Classic (28-30 July) when a star-studded line-up of two-wheel heroes took to the famous GP track riding a combination of phenomenal 500cc two-strokes from the sport’s glory days plus new Yamaha YZF-R1s painted in evocative period liveries. What’s more, these exclusive retro-liveried R1s are now being offered for public sale. Adding to the amazing occasion, a team of Bike Legends also contested – and won – the event’s high-profile Celebrity Challenge Trophy race, a special showdown featuring an impressive grid of famous faces from sport, music, TV and showbiz all racing equally-matched Austin A30s and A35s. “It was an awesome weekend on all fronts,” enthused WGPBL ambassador Wayne Gardner. “The Silverstone Classic is now one of the world’s greatest festivals and the presence of World GP Bike Legends certainly adds to the extraordinary show. With so many enthusiasts, it was the perfect event for us to debut our exciting new initiative with Yamaha.” Gardner, the 1987 500cc MotoGP title winner, was joined at the special Silverstone showcase by fellow World Champions Freddie Spencer and Phil Read MBE plus five other renowned riders from yesteryear: British champions Niall Mackenzie and Steve Parrish, TT racer Maria Costello MBE plus GP aces Didier de Radiguès and Niggi Schmassmann. This year’s outstanding WGPBL line-up also starred two sons of famous fathers – Gardner’s son Remy, currently competing in Moto2, and Freddie Sheene whose late father Barry Sheene remains one of the most loved characters in global motor sport. While Parrish, Costello, de Radiguès, Schmassmann and Gardner junior were all aboard fiery two-strokes, the five other legends debuted a quintet of dazzling Yamahas, all finished in very special racing colours. Wayne Gardner’s YZF-R1s featured a unique World GP Bike Legends design, however those ridden by Spencer, Read, Mackenzie and Sheene all boasted evocative designs harking back to respective heydays. Spencer’s design was based on the Yamaha he raced back in 1980, Read’s recalled his championship winning Yamaha of 1971 and Mackenzie’s livery honoured the Sanauto-Yamaha on which he contested 1992 500cc World Championship. Even more iconically, perhaps, Freddie Sheene’s much-admired R1 revived the revered Akai livery from the Yamaha his late father raced in 1981. All five riders autographed their respective R1s which are now on sale via the www.legendsgpbikes.com website. Each one comes with a Certificate of Authenticity (also signed by the rider) and a dedicated plaque showing its position in the very limited WGPBL series. The new collection of R1s, resplendent in their alluring retro colours, attracted massive attention at the Silverstone Classic both when on display in the National Paddock and when performing high-speed demonstration laps on the circuit. Though dramatic these on-track demos weren’t competitive, four of the WGPBL riders – Gardner, Spencer, Parrish and Costello – did join forces to contest the event’s standout Celebrity Challenge Trophy motor race on Saturday evening. Their impressive results, when added to those scored in Sunday’s follow-up showdown for the cars’ owners, ensured the Bike Legends team came out on top, in the process helping to raise more than £10,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, the event’s official charity. More information and all the latest WGPBL news is available on the official website www.worldgpbikelegends.com and via the initiative’s social media platforms.
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- ‘Bike Legends’ team to contest special Celebrity Race
- 500cc World Champions joined by Parrish and Costello
- World GP Bike Legends return for dramatic on track demo
- All tickets for the Classic must be purchased in advance
A quartet of two-wheel heroes will represent a Bike Legends team contesting the star-studded Celebrity Challenge Trophy showdown at this summer’s Silverstone Classic (28-30 July). The impressive Bike Legends squad features two 500cc World Champions – Freddie Spencer and Wayne Gardner – as well as multiple British champion Steve Parrish and renowned TT racer Maria Costello MBE. Spencer – aka ‘Fast Freddie’ – is one of bike racing’s true legends. The American was 500cc World Champion in both 1983 and 1985, notching up 27 GP wins from just 72 starts. Gardner’s success came later in the same decade; the Aussie ace capturing the coveted 500cc title in 1987 to become the first racer from Down Under to lift motorcycling’s premier class crown. Ten years earlier, Parrish finished fifth in the same 500cc World Championship when racing as team-mate to the great Barry Sheene. Since then, the Englishman has notched up multiple truck racing titles and become a familiar voice to television audiences around the globe. Costello also has a strong presence in the media but most of her awe-inspiring heroics have come on the Isle of Man. She was the first female solo rider to stand on podium in a race around the TT course and between 2004 and 2009 held the record as the fastest woman to lap the fearsome TT circuit. More recently, she stood on the Classic TT podium last year and is currently competing in sidecars at British Superbike level. Far from hanging up their helmets, all four have recently passed their ARDS test to secure a competition licence to race on four wheels and are now looking forward to their next motorsport adventure: racing in a pack of competition-prepared Austin A30 and A35 saloons at the Silverstone Classic. Harking back to the late fifties, these nostalgic cars are well-known in classic racing circles and were introduced a few years ago by the Historic Racing Drivers Club (HRDC) as a cost-effective route into historic racing. “It will be great fun as I could be finally racing a car that's older than me,” joked the notoriously gregarious Parrish. Having recently tested an A35, Costello grinned: “I’ve raced on both two and three wheels but I never imagined being on four wheels on track could put such a big smile on my face.” Both Spencer and Gardner have considerable car racing experience, notably Gardner who contested touring car championships in both his native Australia and Japan after retiring from bikes. “I’ve got ten years of car racing up my sleeve, so hopefully that will help,” said Gardner. “I went to last year’s Classic and was blown away by the number of people and all the incredible cars. Now it’s going to be very special to be part of the circuit racing show next month.” “Whether I’m riding or driving in anything I always enjoy it – this is going to be a lot of fun,” added Spencer. “I can’t wait to get out there!” Boasting such an experienced line-up, the Bike Legends team must start the Celebrity Challenge Trophy race as one of the favourites to contest the title but, although the majority of their famous rivals are racing rookies, their fiercely competitive nature is likely to prove a force to be reckoned with. While out to enjoy themselves, they will be out to win, too. Besides, there is prize money at stake! The victorious team will raise £10,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, the event’s official charity partner. As well as gunning for glory among the jostling A35s, all four bike stars will also be performing on two wheels as part of Saturday’s dramatic World GP Bike Legends demonstration display. They will be back aboard some classic machines from motorbike racing’s golden two-stroke era as well as an exciting new generation of sports bikes supplied by Yamaha. “The addition of bike legends was a big hit at the Silverstone Classic last year and we’ll be back with an even bigger and better show in July,” vowed an excited Gardner. Appropriately, the dedicated World GP Bike Legends showcase will be based adjacent to the Ace Café in the National Paddock. Fans wishing to see all these heroes in track action, whether it be on two or four wheels, must purchase tickets in advance. Adult admission starts at £43 and weekend camping and hospitality upgrades are available. All tickets provide access to racing paddocks, trackside grandstand seating, live music concerts on both Friday and Saturday evenings featuring the Bootleg Beatles and Tony Hadley formerly of Spandau Ballet, vintage funfair rides, air shows and car club displays as well as a host of other family-friendly demonstrations, activities and entertainment. www.worldgpbikelegends.com
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THE APRILIA RS-GP CONFIRMS GREAT POTENTIAL IN HOLLAND
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ IS BACK IN THE TOP TEN IN A RACE RUINED BY THE RAIN. CRASH FOR SAM LOWES
ALBESIANO: “WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO STAY IN THE TOP FIVE”
Aleix Espargaró is back in the points, finishing tenth in the Assen GP. This is certainly a positive result that ends Aleix's streak of zero point finishes, but the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Spaniard's race should have ended with a much different result.
Just after the mid-race point, the Espargaró-Aprilia package demonstrated its full potential. After a cautious start without forcing his pace too much, Aleix moved up from fifteenth to seventh, joining Crutchlow's group. An even more significant statistic is that during that part of the race (16th and 17th laps) he had lapped with the second best time and his gap behind the leader was less than seven seconds. In short, all the conditions were right for an excellent race finale, on the hunt for a top-five finish. Instead, raindrops began to fall and the altered grip conditions (Aleix had the hard tyre on the rear) ruined his pace completely. Aleix dropped back position by position to the end, in any case managing to defend a top-ten finish.
Notwithstanding, the Aprilia RS-GP confirmed once again in this race that a top-five finish is definitely within reach of a project which has made clear progress in terms of performance over recent months.
Sam Lowes, who had started from the fourth row for the first time thanks to outstanding qualifiers, crashed out in the ninth lap while lying fifteenth. There were no consequences for him and he can take comfort in a weekend where he demonstrated the biggest improvement of his rookie year in MotoGP.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I cannot be entirely satisfied because our goal is still to be closer to the leaders. The race had started well. I managed the first part, successfully overtaking a lot of riders and maintaining a good pace. A few laps before the rain I had begun to visibly recover ground. The RS-GP was really working well and I was closing the gap quickly. Unfortunately, I did not have a good feeling on the damp track and I was unable to push. Today we demonstrated once again that we can be very competitive, but the weather got in the way."
SAM LOWES
"It was a difficult race for everyone. We had ridden on the dry track only on Friday and the track changed completely. I was in a good group. When Lorenzo overtook me I felt like I could stay with him and set my sights on a good position. I battled a bit with Baz. I was faster than him in some situations, but we overtook one another on practically every lap. I crashed as I was opening up the throttle. Maybe I was a bit too close to the white line, but this weekend I definitely took a step forward. I am pleased that there will be a race in a few days because we are on a positive trend."
ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
"Once again we expressed potential that is clearly worthy of the top-five which did not bear the deserved fruits due to a contingent situation. As long as the race proceeded in normal, dry track conditions, performance was very high. When it began to rain after the mid-race point, Aleix was just over six seconds from the leader. He had caught up to the group ahead of him without pushing too hard and he had a better pace than they did. Realistically, he could have aimed for the top-five. The level that Aprilia has achieved is a clear fact by now. We will keep going strong because if our potential is at these levels, we will soon be reaping the results.”
FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER
"With the dry track we rode a fantastic race. Aleix maintained a spectacular pace. He moved up through the ranks easily and was lapping with the same pace as the leaders. Those raindrops ruined the final result, but there are many reasons to be confident and even pleased to have finished the race in the top-ten anyway. These are points that boost morale after our recent DNFs. We draw confidence from the knowledge that we are close to the leaders in terms of performance and that is what we are taking away from this race.”
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