MAVERICK FINISHES ELEVENTH, ALEIX CRASHES

The Malaysian Sunday in Sepang did not bring the improvements hoped for in the Aprilia camp, where they had to settle for Maverick’s eleventh-place finish. His race was conditioned primarily by being in the most crowded part of the pack where, between overtaking and tyre management, it is difficult to exploit a pace which, on paper, could have earned better results.

Aleix, on the other hand, fell victim to a crash on turn 9 as he was attempting to close the gap from his twelfth-place position. His generosity encountered a less than perfect feeling with the front end, a recurring sensation throughout the weekend, which the technicians will be working on both in view of Qatar and in terms of developing the 2024 RS-GP.

ALEIX
"A weekend to forget, without a doubt. In the warm-up session, we tried a very different setup on the bike and, to be honest, I was fast but I realised straight away that I was closer to the limit with the front end. The most difficult thing to accept is not so much the crash – these things can happen – but rather the gap we had behind the leaders. When I crashed on turn nine I was twelfth, without the pace to even think about a serious comeback. We need to think about this and find a solution to get back to being competitive."

MAVERICK
"It wasn’t a fantastic race, but it was what we could do today. By now we have figured out that, if you’re in the middle of the group, you might even have a good pace, but you aren’t able to fully express it. You have to overtake and not let anyone overtake you and manage tyre temperature – all factors that ultimately limit your overall performance. I’m looking at the positive: a race like this allowed us to collect lots of information. Maybe we won’t be able to use it straight away in Qatar, but the Aprilia engineers will certainly have a lot of data to help them in developing the 2024 bike."

APRILIA HARD AT WORK TO MAKE A STEP FORWARD IN THE RACE

In a Sprint Race that rewards the top nine riders with points, Maverick’s top-10 finish is meagre consolation. After starting well from the third row, the Aprilia rider had to reckon with the usual chaos on the first turns where some contact and some trajectory changes cost him ground with respect to the leaders. His race, characterised by consistency, is a good starting point for tomorrow where, with twice as many laps to ride, he could easily have the chance to exploit his pace. 

As for Aleix, it’s safe to say that his performance today in Sepang suffered from the events of yesterday. Although extremely fast in Q1, the time he did was not enough to send him through to Q2, which he missed by just over a tenth of a second. His fifth-row start had him then maintaining a good pace, but still not enough to allow him to move up any farther than twelfth.

ALEIX
"The good thing is that I got back the "normal" sensations on the RS-GP with the change in settings. My time in Q1 (1'58.069) was the fastest yet for Aprilia in Sepang, but it wasn’t enough to go through to Q2. Starting a bit farther forward would certainly have helped, especially in the Sprint Race, but the fact is that I expected to be faster. We’ll have better chances tomorrow in the long race."

MAVERICK
"I can’t say that I’m disappointed, because I think the result today was the best possible. I had managed to start well, but then in the chaos on the opening corners I lost a few positions and I didn’t have the speed I needed in order to attack. We made a few steps forward on various fronts and we still have the warm-up session to try and find a few tenths. We’ll need to continue working to improve for future races as well."

Ace Cafe Poppy Day parade and service
Sunday 12th of November

Ace Cafe London

MAVERICK IMPROVES IN THE FINALE TO TAKE FIFTH

ALEIX CRASHES OUT AND WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH Q1

It was not a relaxing day in the Aprilia garage, with two particularly lively sessions contributing. On the first day at the Malaysian Sepang circuit, Maverick took advantage of almost every outing to find the right feeling. He finally found it in the afternoon session, where he did the fifth-best time, which sends him straight through to Q2.

Practice sessions were complicated for Aleix, on the other hand, victim of a crash this morning and three more in the afternoon, the last of which left him with some scratches. His lack of feeling with the front has already been analysed and understood by number 41’s crew, which gives Espargaró moderate confidence for tomorrow.

ALEIX
"I’ve definitely had better days, but I can’t say that I’m particularly worried. We are well aware of the problem, so tomorrow we’ll go back to a standard solution and I’m sure I’ll be able to be fast. It will be a demanding Saturday since I have to go through Q1, plus the last crash left me a bit scratched up and that won’t make life easy. We are riders and we know this can happen. The important thing is to know where to make changes."

MAVERICK
"A strange Friday on this track. We know that in the first session grip is usually poor and then it gradually improves, but today I did not have a better feeling in the afternoon. Anyway, in the last time attack with a new tyre, I felt better, so that’s a starting point for tomorrow. We made some comparisons between various systems to improve thermal comfort in the saddle and I must thank Aprilia for their quick response in spite of the little time available. Today the temperatures were not extreme, so it’s difficult to evaluate. We’ll analyse the data and understand more as early as the Sprint Race."

Visitors to Motorcycle Live in association with Bikesure Insurance will be ‘buzzing’ between 18-26 November as the UK’s biggest and most interactive motorcycle and scooter show offers a whole host of activities for fans of electric power, including UK debuts of brand-new models and the chance to try electric powered machines… 

No matter what stage of riding level, there’s the chance to ‘have a go’ on electric this year at the show.

The FREE Electric Test Ride Zone returns for its third year at the show offering those with a full A, A1 or A2 licence to test ride some of the latest electric motorcycles and scooters around the specifically built indoor track. 

Those aged 6 and over can climb aboard in the OSET Trials Experience for a 15-minute taster session with no licence required. Brand-new for 2023, the Electric Motion Trials Experience, offers those aged 16 with a motorcycle licence, ACU or CBT the chance to try trials riding around a mini-course with tuition.

Whether trying out electric for the first time, looking for your next purchase, trying a new skill or just having fun, try out ‘electric power’ at Motorcycle Live. 

With over 45 manufacturers showing their 2024 line-ups, Motorcycle Live is the place to be to see the latest and greatest new models. There will be the UK Premiere of the new Maeving RM1S as well as the global unveiling of an exciting prototype from Vulpin VF1. 

Throughout the nine-day event, the Black Horse Stage will be hosting daily entertainment with live games, quizzes and interviews with top racers and riding celebrities. On Wednesday 22 November, CEO of Arc Motorcycles Mark Truman will be joining stage presenter Jamie Whitham to talk about the story so far for the British brand and what’s next for the pioneering electric machines. Visitors can get up close to the exclusive Arc Vector on the MCN Dream Garage.  

Bob White and John Keogh of White Motorcycle Concepts will also be attending the show on Wednesday to discuss the challenge - and fun - behind creating the world's fastest electric motorcycle and its upcoming land record speed attempt. 

On Friday 24 November, show visitors can wave as Zero Motorcycle’s FIM Maudes Trophy entry sets off for its 1300-mile journey from the National Exhibition Centre to the FIM Awards in Liverpool all in time for the star-filled awards ceremony. 

Advanced ticket prices are £23* for an adult and children 6-18 just £2.50** – under 5’s are free**. Group discounts are available for 10+ tickets – and all members don’t have to come on the same day.

For more information on Motorcycle Live, visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk/electric.