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Category: Superbikes
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The impressive speed demonstrated in the first part of the race, as the second best race fast lap will testify, is the umpteenth positive sign for Aleix and Aprilia. During a race which was, on average, faster than the one last week, the RS-GP confirmed its potential and, in Aleix’s able hands, crossed the finish line with an even narrower gap behind the leader (5.382 seconds). Only some difficulties with top speed which prevented the possibility of overtaking forced Espargaró to what was, in any case, a brilliant top-10 finish. This is a result that lets him leave Qatar in eighth place for the riders championship, whereas Aprilia is fourth in the manufacturer championship.
Lorenzo Savadori, although still far from his teammate’s performance, demonstrated a decidedly more competitive pace than last week. The reference gap behind the winner drops to around 10 seconds, whereas the Italian rider’s experience increases with the demanding MotoGP bike.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I cannot be happy with my position because I believe we deserved better. The new RS-GP works well. Acceleration is spectacular and I'm able to push in braking. The only place we suffered today was on the straight. When I was behind the Ducatis, I had more grip than they did, but I am unable to overtake them. It’s a pity, but from what I could see in these two races, when we get to the European circuits, I'm sure we’ll be able to have some fun."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"I am looking at the positive sides of this race. My shoulder, although not perfect, is improving constantly, and I should be able to forget about that problem when we arrive in Portimão. I was about 10 seconds faster than last Sunday, even with the fact that I had to do a little fuel saving on the last 5 laps. There is still a lot of work to do, but I can’t wait to race in Portimão, a track that I know well, and with the experience I’ve gained from this season start."
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THE SECOND ROW SLIPS THROUGH HIS FINGERS BY 51 THOUSANDTHS BUT QUALIFIERS ARE GOOD FOR ALEIX IN QATAR
As always in MotoGP, the numbers are the only objective value on which to base any analysis. And in the case of Aleix and his Aprilia, the results are positive all around. Despite a slower track than last week, with slightly unfavourable grip conditions, Aleix maintained good consistency in terms of pace which, thanks to the times he did yesterday, meant he could afford to concentrate his work on tomorrow’s 22 laps. Things got off on the right track straight away in qualifying, with Aleix putting an outstanding time on the boards on his first try. With the second new tyre, a few small mistakes kept him from taking home a spot on the second row which seemed well within his potential, slipping through his fingers under the chequered flag by just 51 thousandths. The Spanish rider will start from the seventh spot on the grid tomorrow.
Lorenzo Savadori is still struggling, especially on his time attacks. Penalised by his unfamiliarity with the new bike and the category, Lorenzo still demonstrated progress. Especially in terms of pace, as shown by his best time in FP4 (1'56.421), more than three tenths faster than his times here a week ago.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I am generally pleased with the way we worked this weekend. In spite of a rather different track from last week, with less grip, I feel, if it’s possible, even more comfortable astride the RS-GP. I don’t know what to expect from the race, but we’ll be in the mix. Our pace has been consistently in line with the leading group. The only slightly disappointing thing is not having done better in qualifying. I exploited the first tyre well, but with the second, I made a few mistakes and it wasn’t the lap I wanted."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"The thing that caused me the most problems, especially today, was the wind. The track was in very complicated conditions and in qualifying, for example, I was on a good time until the third sector but then I lost half a second in the last few fast corners. I still don't have full confidence with the bike and tyres and having a variable like the wind doesn't help. Tomorrow in the race I hope the shoulder will respond better than last week and allow me to maintain my pace".
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APRILIA PREPARES FOR THE SECOND ROUND IN QATAR
The double race on the same circuit is one of the changes that the MotoGP circus made in response to the limitations generated by the international situation. After the experience last season, riders and teams have learned to tackle what is, in all actuality, a new challenge. In fact, the double round presents some unique situations: the setup, if possible, must go into even more detail, without neglecting the obvious adjustments to the changed asphalt conditions.
This is no simple task, particularly for Aprilia, as they are still exploring the potential of the revamped RS-GP. Feedback from the first GP was positive, especially for Aleix Espargaró, finishing seventh but having brought his bike to a gap of just 5 seconds and 93 hundredths from the winner. Never, in all its history, has Aprilia been so high in the MotoGP field.
Lorenzo Savadori, on the other hand, will be making the most of the experience gained during the first weekend. Still not perfectly at ease, both because of a lack of confidence on the new bike and due to a shoulder which continues to limit him, Lorenzo will continue his apprenticeship, seeking to increase his performance level.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"The first weekend gave us the feedback we were looking for. We showed, even for those who were sceptical, that we have taken a step forward in the race, as well as in practice. We still have room to grow and the double round here in Doha will give us a chance to continue improving the RS-GP. Goals? Shaving off a few tenths in qualifying and increasing race pace. Getting even closer to the leaders would mean battling for an important result. It won’t be easy. Everyone will have the chance to improve, including solving some problems they had in the first race, so I expect the competition to be even fiercer."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"Even if the first race didn’t go as we had hoped, for us it was important to gather information on how the new bike behaves. We’ll use what we learned last weekend to set up our work. We know what our weak points will be and that’s where we’ll have to focus. During the break, I tried to recuperate as much as possible and, although it has improved, my shoulder is still a limitation. The situation is manageable during practice, but I can definitely feel the strain in the race."
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ALEIX BATTLES, SETS THE PACE AND STAYS WITH THE BEST: APRILIA IS IN THE MIX
A SEVENTH PLACE THAT BOOSTS CONFIDENCE AND PROVIDES CERTAINTIES
The question mark was erased with a great performance by Aleix in the first race in Qatar. The new Aprilia RS-GP is fast, consistent and capable of battling with the best. The seventh-place finish today is worth more than it might seem. The gap from the leader is under six seconds, despite a few tenths lost in overtaking - an important message that rewards the hard work on the track and in Noale.
After a good start, Aleix suffered a few attacks straight away in the early stages where, with a full tank, the rider from Granollers preferred not taking any pointless risks. Once he had set his pace, he began an unstoppable comeback, with times that made him the fastest on track in the central phase of the race. Precise and confident overtaking, Espargaró clawed his way all the way up to a seventh-place finish.
It was a demanding race for teammate Savadori, reckoning with a shoulder that suffered over race distance and with a feeling that still needs to be perfected. For the Italian rookie, finishing the race, accumulating data and gaining experience was fundamental, as well as setting up his race for next week, which will once again be here in Qatar.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I am happy. Seventh place may not seem like much, but I showed that I am able to stay with the best all the way to the end, with a gap behind the leader that had never before been so low. In some stages of the race I was cautious, especially overtaking, where I tried to be clean and not risk, and that certainly cost us a few tenths. But after the positive tests and after all the efforts of the team here and in Noale, it was important not to make any mistakes. Now we definitely know that we can be in the game. We are fast, not only in practice, but also when it counts, and that is fundamental."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"A difficult race, both because of my shoulder that was bothering me, especially at the beginning, and also because we still need to improve. I don’t have the right feeling to push. I struggle with a full tank and managing the tyres. Finishing the race was important because, analysing the data, we’ll be able to continue working on the RS-GP. The bike definitely has great potential, as Aleix’s performance demonstrates. Now, during the days off, I’ll try to recuperate as much as possible to be ready for next weekend."
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GOOD PACE AND THIRD ROW ON THE GRID: ALEIX READY FOR THE FIRST RACE OF THE SEASON
LORENZO CONTINUES TO IMPROVE, CONSISTENTLY RECUPERATING PHYSICALLY
There are certain sessions where you have to look deeper into the analysis, without stopping at the final position. That was the case for the first qualifiers of the season today in Qatar, where Aleix finished with the eighth best time (1'53.315) and a spot on the third row. However, the timer also shows that less than one tenth separates him from the second row, whereas just over 2 tenths kept him from finishing on the first row.
These stats confirm both the extraordinary level MotoGP has reached, where riders are increasingly more often separated by incredibly small gaps, and the good form demonstrated by the Aleix/Aprilia duo.
On the other side of the garage, Lorenzo Savadori continues working hard, able to count on a consistently improving physical condition. The Italian is gradually making up the time lost during the winter tests, trying to improve the settings on his RS-GP. Tomorrow, he will be adding more, fundamental miles to his apprenticeship.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I can confirm what I said yesterday in terms of feeling with the bike. I'm having fun riding the new RS-GP and I believe in its potential. We may still have some limits in qualifying. I did some very good laps without mistakes, but it wasn’t enough for a spot on the second row. Race strategies will be fundamental. Today we saw some incredible times, but tomorrow in the final laps, race pace will go up quite a bit. We’ll see how this will translate for us. Today we did a few long runs, but this bike’s true potential is still unknown."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"Thanks especially to the good conditions of my shoulder, we are trying to work on the bike to make up for lost time during the winter tests, where I was unable to do more than 2 or 3 laps in a row. We are still lacking something, despite the fact that I could have improved my time in qualifying if I hadn’t made a small mistake. We’ll see tomorrow. Some of our rivals don’t seem so far away in terms of pace, but I'm curious to see how the RS-GP performs."
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