Category: Superbikes

1. ESPARGARÓ ON THE THIRD ROW AFTER THE PHILLIP ISLAND QUALIFIERS

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 21st Oct 2017

   WEATHER PERMITTING, GOOD POTENTIAL FOR APRILIA AND THE SPANISH RIDER
   
   After leading the Friday sessions and proving to be fast in FP4 in race setup, the Espargaró-Aprilia duo took on qualifying setting their sights on the first two rows. The result eluded them only because of traffic on the track that Aleix ran into on all of his flying laps. In spite of it all, the Spanish rider rode his RS-GP to the third row with an eighth place time (1'29.271).

   In any case, Aleix can count on the good feedback from the fourth session, the one that most reflects the race situation. In addition to his fourth best time, just a shout from the leaders, Espargaró turned a series of fast laps, showing a rather consistent pace. Unless there is a change in the weather, something that is anything but improbable on this track, a top 5 finish seems to be a goal well within reach for the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini.

   Sam Lowes had a bit of difficulty in qualifying, struggling to maintain the optimum range of use for the tyres due to the low temperatures. With just a few available laps, the English rookie had to settle for the eighth row.
   
   
   ALEIX ESPARGARO'
   "I expected more from qualifying after the potential we showed in the other sessions. Unfortunately, I was never able to get in a clean lap because of traffic. There were a few slow riders in front of me and to be honest, I am not able to ride to the limit in these conditions. In any case, we showed that we have a good pace, especially in FP4, which is the session that best reflects our situation for the race. The third row in such a long and demanding race is not a big limit. A few of the riders in front of us don't seem to have a particularly competitive race pace, so fighting for the top 5 is a realistic goal."
   
   SAM LOWES
   "I am rather satisfied with our work, although compared to yesterday I had more difficulty maintaining tyre temperature. It was a condition that was quite clear in qualifying, where it is hard to get the tyres into the right temperature range because of the little time available. It's a vicious cycle: you're not able to push because you don't have the right feeling, but you should do just that to warm up the tyres and get them to work right. In the race things are different. We showed that we have a good pace and, as always, my Aprilia is able to manage wear over race distance well."

    

    

2. FOURTH TIME IN QUALIFYING FOR ESPARGARÓ AND HIS RS-GP TO START FROM THE SECOND ROW AT MOTEGI TOMORROW

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 14th Oct 2017

   NEVER BEFORE HAS APRILIA BEEN SO FAR FORWARD IN MOTOGP
   ESPARGARÓ: "WE ARE CONTENDERS FOR THE TOP POSITIONS"

   In qualifying, Aleix Espargaró confirmed the qualities demonstrated in free practice. On the Motegi track he took the fourth best time, coming just 44 thousandths from a brilliant first row and now he is one of the protagonists for the race tomorrow. After an excellent Friday (second in the first free practice session and third in the second), Aleix easily went straight through to Q2 where, as he has done throughout this Japanese round, he battled with the best for the top positions, proof of the competitive level he has reached.

   In the decisive session, characterised by a damp track with some dry spots, Aleix took advantage of the confidence gained on his Aprilia and stopped the clock at 1'53.947 on his decisive lap, earning the fourth spot and the second row of the starting grid for tomorrow. Never before in MotoGP history has an Aprilia started so far forward. This is a result that rewards Aleix's talent and the hard work of the Italian Racing Department who, throughout the season, have developed the RS-GP, the youngest bike on the entire grid.

   Sam Lowes paid the price for the conditions of the Japanese track, difficult to interpret as it began to dry out. However, even though he was not able to reap the benefits of the work done yesterday in the wet, he improved compared to recent races, finishing in 18th place to earn a spot on the sixth row of the starting grid.
   
   ALEIX ESPARGARO'
   "I am definitely satisfied, not only with the qualifiers, but with the entire weekend so far. We have been competitive in every session and we showed that we have a great pace in the wet. Qualifying was demanding. The track in mixed conditions is certainly not the optimum situation for us. In any case, I was able to earn a good starting position, the best for Aprilia in MotoGP, and for this I must thank the entire team. We need to keep going like this. As for my choice of tyres if the track is very wet, that is not a problem. I hope it rains tomorrow because in those conditions we demonstrated that we can be extremely fast and consistent. If we look at the practice sessions, we are in the group contending for the top positions, but on Sunday anything can happen. A lot of riders who are having difficulties today, like Rossi and Viñales, will be in the game for the race."
   
   SAM LOWES
   "Unfortunately, qualifying was the worst session of the weekend for me. Especially because the conditions were intermediate and I still lack experience with the MotoGP bike. In FP3 I made a mistake on my last flying lap which would have let me go straight through to Q2, whereas in qualifying we decided not to change the tyres and, seeing how our rivals did, that definitely cost us a few tenths. In any case, we worked well in view of the race. If we have a wet track tomorrow, it would not be unrealistic to aim for a top 10 finish."

    

3. THE "TRIPLE-HEADER" BEGINS: FIRST STOP - MOTEGI

   Posted on 5:00pm Tuesday 10th Oct 2017

   AFTER THE NICE RESULT IN ARAGÓN, APRILIA IS ON THE HUNT FOR A POSITIVE STREAK
   
   The longest stretch of away races for the year is about to begin. Japan, Australia and Malaysia will be hosting the three MotoGP races in a row, leading up to the grand finale in Valencia. The Twin Ring of Motegi, the Japanese circuit that has hosted MotoGP since 1999, is the first stop on the world tour.

   Aprilia is headed to Motegi tempered by the nice sixth place finish Aleix Espargaró brought home from Aragón, less than seven seconds behind the winner. It was a prestigious placement but no surprise, given the constant improvement in performance by the RS-GP that was lacking only the culmination in a race to demonstrate its potential.
   
   ALEIX ESPARGARO'
   "I love Japan. For me it is one of the best countries in the world. Motegi is definitely a demanding circuit for us with its violent accelerations. We did a great job in Aragón. We have a truly competitive bike and I will give 100% to achieve the maximum possible result. The atmosphere on the team is fantastic. I can't wait to spend almost a month with the guys."
   
   SAM LOWES
   "I am excited, not only for the Motegi race, but for the three weekends in a row. It will be important to start well in order to then keep our confidence up throughout the entire tour. I like Japan and I can't wait to depart. My goal is to finish in the points zone and especially to reduce the gap behind the top riders."
   
   ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
   "The Twin Ring is a decidedly demanding track, both on acceleration and therefore wheelies and, above all, on the braking system. We are coming from an excellent performance in the last race and in 2016 we interpreted the Japanese track well. From a technical point of view, we will be experimenting a new configuration of the fuel feed system with the goal of changing torque output."
   
   FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER
   "The triple-header is a tough tour, starting with Japan. This is the home track for three of the manufacturers competing in MotoGP, a track with long straights and significant braking systems. Our primary goal must be to confirm the good results from Aragón, consolidating the potential that we demonstrated with our performance in the race. Doing well in the season finale also means setting up our work for 2018 with confidence and motivation. Three races in a row put the team and riders to the test, so going back home with plenty of spoils is fundamental."

4. DOUBLE CRASH FOR ESPARGARÓ AND LOWES BOTH WERE INTO THE TOP-TEN

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 11th Sep 2017

   The rain soaked asphalt of Misano heavily influenced the GP of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera. The rain that fell heavily even for the first laps of the race and the wet conditions caused numerous crashes. The Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders also paid the price, crashing while they were battling for a good placement.

   Espargaró crashed in the 14th lap while occupying ninth place. After a good start from the third row, earned thanks to his good performance in qualifying on Saturday, Aleix had found a spot in the group of riders battling for a spot in the top ten, a result that seemed to be well within his potential.

   This time, Sam Lowes also has something to complain about. Feeling quite at ease in the conditions today, he was the protagonist of a fantastic comeback ride from 24th to tenth place, riding behind his teammate. His race also ended early due to a loss of grip at the front on the wet asphalt.
   
   
   ALEIX ESPARGARO'
   “The conditions today were truly difficult. This morning in warm up I did not feel good, but we made a few important changes to the RS-GP and in the early part of the race the feeling was decidedly better. Then I began to have problems with the front tyre before the crash. It's a shame because we have not been able to demonstrate our true potential for a few races now. I am disappointed, but I have not lost my spirit or the desire to continue fighting.”
   
   SAM LOWES
   “I can't be pleased about how the race ended, but on the track I was able to be competitive. I battled, overtook, maintained a good pace and the RS-GP worked brilliantly on the wet track. When the amount of water on the track began to go down, the front didn't give me the same confidence. I tried to slow down too, but I wasn't able to avoid the crash. Despite the result, the race is still incentive to give me confidence that I hope to take advantage of in Aragón where I won my last race in Moto2.”
   
   ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
   “First of all, I would like to say a few words about Sam, who was moving up in the order and had gotten into the top ten. A great result was definitely within his potential. It's too bad about his crash, but today the conditions were very treacherous and unfortunately they also led to Aleix's crash. We need to keep hanging in there, even if recently we haven't reaped much, we are sowing well. The potential is there and we are determined to demonstrate it soon with a good result.”
   
   FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER
   “The race was held in very difficult conditions and it was easy to fall victim to a crash - something that unfortunately happened to both our riders. We could have brought home a nice double top ten finish, because Sam was demonstrating good competitiveness today. In any case, I would like to thank the riders and the entire team for their great efforts. We will keep working as hard as possible to stay with the leaders more and more often.”

5. APRILIA RACING CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF SUCCESS

   Posted on 2:00pm Friday 8th Sep 2017

   30 YEARS OF SUCCESS FOR APRILIA: FROM MISANO 1987 TO 54 WORLD TITLES

   The MotoGP weekend at Misano Adriatico marks thirty years since the first Aprilia win in World Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing, achieved in the 250 Class with Loris Reggiani on 30 August 1987, right here on the Italian circuit.

   It was a win that launched a victorious sports history in all motorcycle categories. As of today, the Italian Racing Department's trophy case holds 54 world titles in the various disciplines, including 38 in World Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing with 294 GP wins.

   That victory is also celebrated by FMI – Federazione Motociclistica Italiana who, on the occasion of the MotoGP round in Misano, awarded Aprilia in memory of that first world championship win. It is a tribute to a victorious technical and sports history that has trained extraordinary generations of riders and technicians.
   
   
   Giovanni Copioli, Chairman of FMI – Federazione Motociclistica Italiana
   “As FMI, we are proud to celebrate this anniversary, Aprilia's first world championship triumph, earned by no less than an Italian rider, Loris Reggiani, and right here in Misano. The purpose of this recognition is to pay due homage to an Italian Manufacturer which, beginning from that win, has brought home countless victories, earning an impressive number of titles and holding Italian motorcycling high. I am certain that Aprilia will soon continue this winning tradition, given their efforts and growth in the premier class.”
   
   Romano Albesiano, Aprilia Racing Manager
   “Looking back on Aprilia's first win today traces back over an extraordinary, all Italian heritage of victories. That fantastic performance by Loris Reggiani was the first step in a chain of 294 wins and 38 Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Titles which are joined by 7 World Superbike Championship Titles and our offroad successes. Today, Aprilia Racing represents the most technologically advanced spearhead of the Piaggio Group with the goal, on the track, of bringing home those wins in the premier category that are missing from our collection of trophies, while continuing to mould technicians and extraordinary skills, persevering on that journey that we began thirty years ago.”