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Category: Superbikes
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TENTH PLACE FINISH JUST A SHOUT FROM EIGHTH
Nineteenth at the start, twelfth on the tenth lap, tenth under the chequered flag: that about sums up Aleix Espargaró's race at the Circuit of the Americas, protagonist of an extraordinary comeback, riding his Aprilia RS-GP into the battle for eighth place. It was a result that he missed by just 3 tenths of a second, when he was unable to demand any more of his tyres in the race finale, already put to a hard test.
The foundation for a good performance today was laid in the warmup session which ended with Aleix in fifth place - demonstration of the excellent analysis conducted after the complicated sessions on Friday and Saturday.
His teammate, Scott Redding, struggled to find the right feeling with the hard tyres chosen for the race, having to settle for a seventeenth place finish in the end. The tests scheduled for tomorrow on this track, where both the Aprilia riders will participate, will be useful to give Scott a chance to increase his familiarity with the RS-GP and better prepare for the arrival of the European races.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
“We knew that this track would be one of the toughest for the RS-GP, plus yesterday we had difficulty with the setup, so my race started as an uphill battle. In spite of this, I was very focused and aggressive at the start. Already in the early laps I had overtaken a lot of other riders, beginning to make up positions. Today my bike truly worked well. The tenth place finish is not an exceptional result, but it was not simple starting from that far back. The only pity was not being able to get past the two riders ahead of me, but in the final laps, the tyre really deteriorated and I had very little traction. It was a solid race that makes us look toward the first European race with great confidence. Our level is high and we can be a surprise on more than one occasion.”
SCOTT REDDING
“Our weekend has started off well, but then I was unable to progress as much as I would have liked to. I rode the race with the hardest tyre both on the front and on the back and the situation improved in terms of the front end, but I was lacking grip at the rear. To be honest, I expected more, but I can't be disappointed: Aleix did an excellent job today and that demonstrates that the bike has good potential, I just need to keep improving and learning.”
ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
“We are very happy because today we showed our true potential, among other things on a track that is traditionally tough for us, with Aleix riding a stupendous comeback race. After the complicated qualifiers yesterday, we were the only ones who went with the hardest compound tyre on the front and the decision paid off, letting Aleix push hard for the entire distance, thereby recovering several positions. We have an outstanding bike and an outstanding team. Today's performance confirms that. Scott is still at a stage where he needs to get to know the bike better in order to be able to take full advantage of it. Tomorrow we'll be back on the track for a day of testing and we'll work hard to dial it in to his comfort, trying various changes in terms of setup.”
FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER
"Already after doing a good warmup session, we had the feeling that we could ride a great race and with Aleix we succeeded in doing just that. The tenth place finish after starting nineteenth and battling in the finale for eighth is definitely positive. Also taking into consideration the difficulties we have always encountered on this track, I must give everyone a round of applause. There has been clear progress. It was not an easy weekend, but it is a good starting point for us in anticipation of the races in Europe."
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ALEIX ESPARGARÓ SEEKS HIS FIRST POINTS IN TEXAS, SCOTT REDDING KEEN TO CONTINUE THE POSITIVE TREND
Before beginning the long European tour, MotoGP is making its last overseas stop to take on the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. This is a track that created some difficulties for teams and riders because of rather bumpy asphalt, but which has now been partially resurfaced (between turns 1 and 9 and between turns 16 and 19), the effects of which will be clearer after the first practice sessions.
Scott Redding is approaching the American round after picking up his first championship points astride the Aprilia RS-GP in the last race in Argentina. The feeling with the Italian bike, which Scott is in his first year riding, is increasing consistently. This is partly due to the British rider's work method, analytical and always focused on improving in terms of race strategy rather than on instantaneous performance.
Aleix Espargaró is more than ready for redemption after being unable to earn points in the first two round of the season, despite clear demonstrations of his competitiveness, like his brilliant Saturday in Argentina. The Spanish rider's value and grit that shone through brightly on that occasion let him look at the upcoming race with renewed optimism.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"Qatar and Argentina were not two lucky races for me. On both occasions, I felt good and we had prepared well for the race, but we were unable to take points due to unexpected issues. During the break before Texas, I tried to rest up and recover energy together with my family - kind of a reset to rediscover the positive feeling for the upcoming race. It's not easy, but I know that I have always given my all, so we need to stay focused and continue working."
SCOTT REDDING
"The race in Argentina was an important one for me. It allowed me to recover the feeling that I had lost in Qatar after good pre-season training. My race position, just outside the top 10, is the result I was expecting to achieve at the beginning of the season. Riding race distance alongside other riders also gave me a chance to compare our performance with that of our rivals and see which areas we need to work on. I want to start from this foundation to keep growing and to grow the RS-GP, knowing that I am moving in the right direction."
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ALEIX ESPARGARÓ FORCED TO RETIRE DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT
The expectations that Aleix Espargaró had built with a great Saturday qualifying were not met due to a problem with a simple electrical component that began right from the start and which, after compromising his performance, forced Aleix to throw in the towel. The disappointment remains for a race in which Aleix entered as a protagonist after his great qualifiers yesterday, but also with the awareness that the potential demonstrated throughout the weekend, he is ready to bring home results on Sunday as well.
Scott Redding finished twelfth, thereby bringing home his first championship points with Aprilia. But his race - in any case positive - was conditioned by a backache that tormented him the whole weekend. For him as well, the Argentinian round represents a good base from which to pick up for the upcoming races, given the clear progress compared to his début race.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"To be honest, I felt very good today. But from the start, the bike responded strangely to the throttle when I accelerated from low speed. For everything else, the feeling was excellent, so much that for the first time in my career, I was able to handle the wet patches without any problems. Then things got worse with the collisions with Marquez and Petrucci who, quite frankly, took some avoidable risks. I cannot be happy with two consecutive zero finishes on two occasions when I felt like I could have battled for important positions. Now I want to recharge my batteries with my family before going to Austin, where we will pick back up from the good that we saw in these last two weekends."
SCOTT REDDING
"It was a very long race. After lining up on the grid, there were some rather confusing moments. Fortunately, the delayed start gave everyone a chance to gain a better understanding of the situation. Today it was basically about interpreting the track conditions straight away and I must say that things worked quite well. I lost ground on the longest straight, whereas on the rest of the track I managed to stay close to my rivals. I am happy with the final result, both because I rediscovered the feeling after Qatar and for the guys on the team who really had to work under pressure today. Riding along with the other riders for the entire race distance also gave me a chance to better understand where the RS-GP and I need to improve and that will help us in the upcoming races."
ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
"A difficult weekend but one in which we demonstrated our speed with both riders, referring to the good qualifiers on Saturday where we brought home some good results that could have been even better. In the race, we had an electrical problem with Aleix's bike and Scott did his job, considering the physical conditions in which he raced due to a devastating backache. A bit of luck will come."
FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER
"If I look at the entire weekend, I see a Saturday where we did very well. We won Q1 and we were also protagonists in the final qualifying session. Scott's race is certainly positive. He earned points racing with a bad backache. Aleix did very well in practice and in the race he was also in a position to bring home a good result. Unfortunately, it went the way it did and we just need to focus immediately on the next race."
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APRILIA FLIES TO TERMAS DE RIO HONDO IN ARGENTINA
It will be the 4.8 kilometres of the Argentinian Termas de Rio Hondo track hosting the second round on the 2018 MotoGP calendar. A fast track (more than 170 km/h average) with plenty of treachery, especially in terms of grip conditions. The weather forecast, with a chance of rain, contributes to increasing the uncertainty expected from the South American round.
This is an exam that Aprilia is tackling with renewed ambitions, comforted by both the potential of the new 2018 RS-GP and by the wide margins of improvement shown in Qatar.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"We need to keep working. In Qatar, the feeling in the race was rather good before the problem in the end that kept us from a top-10 finish that was well within our reach. I am confident because we confirmed our strong points, especially over race distance, whereas we have room to improve our flying lap in qualifying. We are at the beginning of the season. We have set some ambitious goals for ourselves which will certainly not be easy to confirm, but we have all our papers in order to have a good season."
SCOTT REDDING
“The sensations after Qatar were not the best, but I am sure that we will be able to solve the problems that came up in the race. The RS-GP worked well up to that point, so apparently we missed something and that is what we will focus on in Argentina. With so many new components introduced on the 2018 RS-GP, it becomes essential to analyse the data and the bike's reactions carefully in order to create a working base that can then be dialled in as the weekend progresses."
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Tyco BMW have today confirmed a new partnership with fifteen-time Isle of Man TT winner Michael Dunlop for the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy and the other International Road Races.
The 28 year old Northern Ireland rider will campaign the TAS Racing-prepared Tyco BMW S1000RR in the RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior Races at the Isle of Man TT and further International road racing events including the North West 200 and Ulster GP.
With multiple race wins and lap records under his belt since his TT debut in 2007, Michael's skill and determination is without doubt and he remains the first and only rider to lap the 37.73mile Mountain Course in less than 17 minutes. His passion for road racing is mirrored by that of father and son pairing - Hector and Philip Neill - team owner and manager of TAS Racing. The Northern Ireland-based team have to date secured 27 International North West 200 victories and 18 race wins at the iconic Isle of Man TT.
The team's official full road race schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
Philip Neill – Team Manager:
“It has taken some time for this to come together and I’m very happy to confirm Michael Dunlop and TAS Racing/Tyco BMW will finally work together in 2018. Michael and I have discussed options to work together on various occasions and I honestly believe this is a partnership that simply had to happen at some point. My father and I, together with all the guys at TAS Racing, are excited and looking forward to the challenge. We would not be in this position without the support of our partners Tyco and BMW Motorrad and both are extremely happy to reach agreement with Michael for the 2018 season”
Michael Dunlop:
“Tyco BMW and I have spoken many times but nothing ever came of it, but this year everything fell into place. I think it’s a good time for us both to work together and I think both of us can bring something to the table. I’m looking forward to seeing the outcome”
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