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Category: Superbikes

  1. APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI - Le Mans Race

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    ALEIX IN THE POINTS AT LE MANS, BRADLEY CRASHES OUT AFTER AN OUTSTANDING START

    The final surprise of weekend at the French Le Mans circuit came just a few minutes before the race start, with a downpour that forced teams and riders to drastically change their plans. So, it was a wet race, with Bradley getting off the grid extremely well at the start and Aleix skilfully avoiding Valentino Rossi’s crash and getting into the top 10.

    First seventh and then ninth, Bradley confirmed his feeling in the wet before falling victim to a violent high side on the ninth lap. Aleix, on the other hand, complained of poor grip, maintaining his pace all the way to the chequered flag, where he finished fourteenth.

    ALEIX ESPARGARO'
    "This was not a race to be pleased about. We know that we struggle with grip at the rear and that becomes particularly clear on a cold and wet track. At the start, I managed to maintain a decent pace after a good start, but when there began to be less water on the track, I simply did not have grip. I was constantly at risk of making a mistake, so at a certain point, I set my sights on finishing the race. Now we’ll think about Aragón, a track that I like a lot. Hopefully we’ll find better conditions there."

    BRADLEY SMITH
    "Unfortunately, our difficulties got the best of us in the race too. We need to work on the electronics, because in conditions like today, we are too close to the limit. I'm very disappointed because when I crashed, I wasn’t pushing. I had found my pace and was already thinking about how to manage the tyres which, with less water on the track, were beginning to overheat. In any case, I am pleased with what I was able to do. I took advantage of every possible opportunity this weekend to best express the potential of the RS-GP."

     

  5. POINTS FOR ALEIX AND BRADLEY AFTER A THRILLING RACE

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    Aleix and Bradley finished in the points in a race which was chaotic, to say the least. During the eighth lap on the Red Bull Ring, an incredible smash up brought out the red flag and forced a second start, for a second race, shortened to 20 laps. Starting from the tenth (Aleix) and fifteenth (Bradley) position on the grid, the two Aprilia riders concluded the Sunday race in the points, respectively in eleventh and fourteenth place.

    This end result does not entirely satisfy Aleix, who felt perfectly at ease after the first start and less incisive in the second. Next week, once again on the Austrian circuit, the team will pick up from the good sensations of the first eight laps.

    Bradley had an outstanding second start, moving into the top ten. The English rider then managed tyre wear with a prudent finale, where he fended off the attacks of his adversaries to finish in the points.


    ALEIX ESPARGARO'
    "I cannot be entirely satisfied. In the first race I felt very good, managing to maintain the pace of the best, but in the second, I did not find the same sensations. I didn’t want to switch to the medium tyre, so I had to use one soft with a few laps on it. Evidently, with a shortened race, our rivals were able to use a bit of extra grip that kept us from battling like we had during the first eight laps. In any case, I gave 100% and I’ll continue to do so. Maybe we just need to use our heads and not our hearts, getting the most out of the technical package."


    BRADLEY SMITH
    "I had two great starts and I am very pleased about that. The second race definitely went better, although towards the end I had to manage tyre wear and fuel a bit and that kept me from holding onto my advantage over Pirro and Márquez. In any case, overall it was a solid weekend, where we took some steps in the right direction, including during the race. It was a pity not to be able to use a new tyre for the second start like other riders did. I wanted to stay with the soft, but I didn’t have any others available. We need to keep working hard because in warm-up, the bike gave me the right feeling. It would be a step forward if we could manage to maintain that feeling in the afternoon with the higher temperatures too."