Category: Superbikes

1. LEVI DAY DOES THE DOUBLE TO CELEBRATE HIS BIRTHDAY IN STYLE AT OULTON PARK

   Posted on 1:00pm Monday 21st Sep 2020

   BPS Racing’s Levi Day built on his Silverstone success by beating his namesake to the weekend’s opening race win at Oulton Park on Saturday afternoon.

2. JOSH BROOKES TAKES RACE 2 PODIUM AT SILVERSTONE

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 7th Sep 2020

   VisionTrack Ducati’s Josh Brookes stared Race 1 from the middle of the front row in 2nd place, but as the lights went out he was soon pushed back to 6th place. Brookes lost further positions, but was able to gain them all back as the race progressed, eventually crossing the line back in 6th.

    

3. POINTS FOR ALEIX AND BRADLEY AFTER A THRILLING RACE

   Posted on 5:00pm Sunday 16th Aug 2020

   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."

4. DEMANDING DAY FOR ALEIX AND BRADLEY, BUT THE PACE IS THERE

   Posted on 5:00pm Saturday 15th Aug 2020

   Although the position on the grid after qualifying is not the sensational one from Brno, Aleix Espargaró is optimistic at the end of the Austrian Saturday. On a track that has historically been complicated for Aprilia, the Spanish rider once again confirmed his improved feeling astride the 2020 RS-GP. An in-depth analysis of his performance demonstrates this. In a scenario where the pole position time has worsened compared to 2019, Aleix shaved six tenths off his best time from last season. This is an important and concrete signal even if we shift our attention to an analysis of the race pace.

   Bradley also demonstrated substantial growth in terms of the technical package, which is possibly not as evident because of how young the project is. The constant changes to the setup which, on one hand contribute to increasing the team’s and riders’ knowledge of the new bike, on the other hand, do not make it simple to find the best lap time. These first races should be seen as an "investment", destined to bear fruit in the future.
   
   
   ALEIX ESPARGARO'
   "I'm quite satisfied, to be honest. The 2020 RS-GP has confirmed that it is a step ahead here too compared to last year. Let’s not forget that this track is less than ideal for us, so having a good feeling in Austria is very important for me. What race result can we aim for? I don’t see the top 10 as far off - to the contrary. Any worse result would leave a bitter taste in my mouth. The weather conditions will be fundamental, but above all, we will need to stay focused and avoid any mistakes on the important braking sections of this track."
   
   BRADLEY SMITH
   "It may seem strange, but we’re making progress. We are still in a phase where it is important to work on the balance of the bike, changing the setup often in order to figure out how this new bike will react. It’s a job divided up between Aleix and me. When you do this, doing the best times may become more complicated, but we are building a base for this season and for next year. I am pleased that I have not had any of the chattering problems we were worried about in Brno and here. For tomorrow, the goal is to stay in the group and not push past the limit. Riding in the race alongside the other riders is a fundamental opportunity to grow the 2020 RS-GP."

5. FANTASTIC START AND A TOP-10 FINISH FOR ALEIX IN BRNO

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 10th Aug 2020

   DIFFICULT RACE FOR BRADLEY WITH POOR GRIP
   
   In the Brno race, Aleix Espargaró took great advantage of his fourth spot on the grid, starting well and taking the Aprilia RS-GP into the leading group straight away. In an extremely complicated race, the Spanish rider managed the situation, limiting the damage caused by tyre wear and not taking any pointless risks. The goal was to finish the race, earning the first points of the season; mission accomplished with a tenth-place finish when the chequered flag came out, about 8 seconds behind the podium. This is a “ground zero” spot for Aleix and his team to build on for the rest of the season.

   Bradley Smith, on the other hand, battled with a lack of grip - a circumstance similar to what had happened in Jerez, but aggravated by the characteristics of the Portuguese track. This was all in spite of a good start, where Bradley managed to stay with the group of riders battling in the points zone, but having to rethink his ambitions after a few laps.
   
   
   ALEIX ESPARGARO'
   "I'm pleased that I finished the race after what happened in Jerez, although I can’t be entirely happy. Unfortunately, we were not as incisive in the race as we were in qualifying. I didn’t have the pace to stay with the best. However, on one side, we stayed in the top 10 on a track where we struggle historically, and this can be the real ground zero for the start of our season. We need to work especially on acceleration and on speed in mid-turn, although on the latter aspect maybe the two crashes in Jerez had an impact, convincing me to take fewer risks. In any case, I want to see the glass as half full, so we are staying positive and focused. We know our limits and we need to give it our all to solve the problems."
   
   BRADLEY SMITH
   "The start and the early stages of the race were good and it was definitely nice to see Aleix so far out front. Unfortunately, my pace got worse after a few laps. Similar to what happened in Jerez, I started battling with rear grip early on. In any case, finishing the race lets us gather more important data to help our project grow. It seems like we’ll have some new features to test from the next race, and that is very important."