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Category: Superbikes
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MAVERICK INVOLVED IN CONTACT ON THE FIRST CORNER
The Sunday Motegi MotoGP race was certainly not easy on the nerves for fans, teams, and riders. After the rainfall in the morning, the out lap to set up the starting grid was done on a dry track, but under alarming dark clouds covering the Japanese skies. In fact, the rain arrived just after the start, forcing all the riders (some earlier, some later) to return to pit lane for a bike change.
The perfect timing of Aleix, who was already recovering positions, actually shot him into the race lead, backed by a tyre choice which ensured traction and confidence. Only the diminishing water on the track caused him to lose ground, which he promptly recovered when the next rainfall came. The track conditions worsened gradually, especially in terms of visibility, until the red flag came out during the twelfth lap. At the second start, the riders were only able to do their out lap before the conditions of both water on the track and visibility determined the final suspension of the race with Aleix classified in fifth place.
Maverick’s race was substantially compromised on the first corner. After starting well, Viñales was forced to go wide, ending up crashing in the gravel on the escape lane. Back in the saddle – obviously in last place and more than a lap behind – he changed bikes and drew attention in the wet for his decidedly fast pace. The cancellation of the second start, where he would have been starting from pit lane, put an end to any ambitions he may have had of a comeback ride, leaving him understandably frustrated.
ALEIX
"All told, a positive day with perhaps my best performance in the wet. After the bike change, we had chosen the soft rear tyre, counting on the fact that when it rains it pours here in Motegi. Instead, on the first laps it was difficult. With not much water on the track, the soft tyre overheated and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to finish the race. However, when the rain increased, I began to feel increasingly better. I was making up ground on the riders ahead of me and could have aimed for something higher than fifth place. Unfortunately, visibility was really low and it got even worse after the red flag and the restart. The decisions taken by Race Direction today were impeccable."
MAVERICK
"My race was over on the first corner when I was forced wide into the gravel, crashing and restarting last with a huge gap. After the bike change, to be honest, my pace in the wet was extremely good, but with so much distance to make up, it would not have been an easy race. I was hopeful for the restart after the red flag. Even though I would have started from pit lane, at least I would have had another chance."
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MAVERICK BATTLES TO FINISH NINTH, ALEIX STOPPED BY A TECHNICAL PROBLEM
It was not a Saturday to remember for the Aprilia camp. Although the third row on the starting grid could be considered respectable, the 12-lap Sprint Race did not bring the results that were hoped for. Maverick struggled with an annoying vibration at the rear of his RS-GP which kept him from doing any better than ninth place.
Aleix, on the other hand, had to retire during the eighth lap just as he was battling with Bezzecchi, Marquez, and Zarco for fifth. A disappointment that the Spanish rider hopes to forget quickly. In fact, the Aprilia riders have the full-distance race ahead of them tomorrow.
ALEIX
"This Sprint Race didn’t go as expected either. To be honest, my pace wasn’t bad and we could have aimed for a decent result. Unfortunately, it was all in vain due to a technical problem. I’m also disappointed because the Sprint Race is important in view of the race tomorrow. Data can be collected to understand bike and tyre performance."
MAVERICK
"Obviously, I can’t be satisfied. In this Sprint Race, as has happened recently, I struggled particularly with the chattering at the rear that kept me from pushing. Tomorrow we need to make up for it. I feel a bit better on the medium tyre, but above all, we need to understand what is triggering this problem that limits us tremendously."
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ALEIX GUSHES AT MOTEGI: HE IS THIRD IN THE FIRST DAY. WITH MAVERICK EIGHTH, BOTH RS-GP FACTORY BIKES GAIN DIRECT ACCESS TO TOMORROW'S Q2 QUALIFYING SESSION
The fears of the eve, dictated by the layout of the Japanese track, have been for the moment erased by the good performance of the two Aprilia factory bikes in the first practice at Motegi. The circuit, on paper, does not support the qualities of the RS-GP at its best but the great work of the engineers and the determination of Aleix and Maverick allowed the Italian team to place the two factory bikes in the top-10 and, consequently, in Q2 for tomorrow's qualifying.
With one lap under the track record (which stood since 2015) Espargaró finished third, also showing good competitiveness as far as pace was concerned. Eighth instead was Viñales, who ran into a few yellow flags during the last time attacks but was always fast throughout the two sessions held today.
ALEIX
"I am satisfied with the work we did today. We had prepared a very detailed plan for the first session, with various setting tests, but in the end I went back to a base I knew better and was fast both on pace and on the fast lap. It's only Friday and we can still improve a lot, above all we need to be competitive in qualifying as well".
MAVERICK
"It was good to be in Q2 but I felt better on the pace than on the fast lap. Today's plan was to test with the full aero package, which seems to limit us here. So tomorrow we will go back to standard and work on the details, I would say I need another two tenths to be completely satisfied. If we look at the times today everyone lapped very strong, so I am sure that with a little work I can be even more competitive.
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Finally, Fabio Di Giananntonio has arrived. On opening day at Motegi, the Italian rider – the sole standard bearer for Team Gresini Racing MotoGP at this event – carried the whole team on his shoulder and set an excellent sixth quickest time in today’s FP sessions, a result that opens the door to Q2 for the #49.
The Rome-born rider, who is still dealing with some leftovers of the injury to his right shoulder, immediately showed how comfortable he was around the Japanese track. He was the first to lap under the 1’43s barrier and the last one to do so on the timesheets, as he will now be able to keep working knowing he already has a spot in the key qualifying session.
6th - FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (1’43.947s)
“We were quick from the get-go, and I was feeling really good on the bike. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting these lap-times, but everything came out pretty naturally so I’m really positive ahead of tomorrow. Unfortunately, there’s still pain in my shoulder which won’t be an issue on the single-lap performance but could make things more complicated in both the sprint race and the full encounter. We’ll fight the pain, too!”
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MAVERICK IS EIGHTH AFTER A GREAT COMEBACK RIDE FROM TWENTIETH PLACE
ALEIX, STOPPED BY A TECHNICAL PROBLEM, LOSES THE CHANCE TO BATTLE FOR A TOP-5 SPOT
The complicated adaptation to the Buddh Circuit, a track that had never before been tested where the first GP of India was held, found the RS-GP machines ready for the race.
But Maverick, who had found a good setup in the warm-up session, was involved in contact on the first corner and he rejoined in twentieth place, at the back of the group. From there, he began a brilliant comeback ride, lapping at extremely fast times and executing spectacular passes and, exploiting a few crashes ahead of him, he finished with an eighth place that screams vendetta for the potential he had demonstrated.
Aleix, also involved in the contact at the start, managed instead to move into ninth place on the first lap, and then he battled for sixth with Binder, who was not far behind Mir (fifth). However, at the mid-race point, he was stopped by a technical problem which is currently being assessed by the Aprilia technicians who have already ruled out any engine failure. The outcome of the race then demonstrated the chance Aleix missed to take home a nice top-five placement.
ALEIX
"It’s a pity to finish the weekend this way. These were three difficult days but today, in spite of everything, I could have made a play for the top five and I felt rather good in the saddle. The problem happened suddenly. What I noticed throughout the weekend was the great amount of heat on the bike and this has created some problems for us in the past. It’s something that we need to analyse because other races in high temperatures are coming up. We don’t have much time available, but I hope that the Aprilia team will be able to resolve the problem."
MAVERICK
"On the first corner I was forced to go wide and found myself in last place. From there, I began to recover, pushing constantly to the limit. In any case, I am extremely happy because I felt very good on the bike. We made great improvements throughout the weekend. This morning in the warm-up session we found a setting that allowed me to brake hard, which was exactly where we struggled most here in India, and the race was the best session of the entire weekend. I really think that we are leaving India having made a huge step forward."
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