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Category: Moto GP
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APPOINTMENT IN CATALUNYA FOR MOTOGP
NEW EXAMS FOR THE APRILIA RS-GP
Just a few days after leaving the Mugello Circuit, the MotoGP convoy heads to Barcelona, Spain, for the Catalunya GP. Another demanding track, made even trickier by weather which, if the forecast is right, will be anything but stable.
Aleix and Lorenzo will arrive comforted by a 2021 RS-GP that is proving to be extremely competitive in decidedly different conditions and layouts. So, it is a project that started well and where work is now focused on the details. A fundamental aspect in a fiercely competitive championship like MotoGP.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"My home track is always a special round. This is where my passion for motorcycling was born. Besides that, I think it’s an extremely fascinating track and I can’t wait to tackle it with the 2021 RS-GP. I had some concerns about my arm after what happened on Friday and Saturday in Mugello, but then in the race I didn’t have any problems, so that is comforting. We are consistently in the group of the best, so hopefully we’ll be able to take another step forward here."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"The last time I lapped in Barcelona was 2010 with the 125, so I won’t have any points of reference, also because the track has changed in the meantime. I’m curious to see what happens because the 2021 bike is proving perform extremely consistently on vastly different tracks, so we have the chance to grow and improve constantly."
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MOTOGP RETURNS TO MUGELLO FOR THE ITALIAN GP
APRILIA READY FOR THEIR FIRST HOME RACE
After the cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MotoGP is back to tackle one of the most attractive circuits on the calendar. In fact, riders and staff consider Mugello special asphalt, both because of its location and for its characteristics: fast direction changes, slops, a long straight with the iconic downhill at over 300 kph. This edition will be lacking the splendid choreography of the Italian fans - a painful but necessary choice.
For Aprilia, this will be the first home race. The Italian team is arriving after having demonstrated consistent growth in terms of performance, only slightly hindered by the disappointment in Le Mans. After the French race, Aleix underwent surgery to correct a problem with compartment syndrome and to be at full fitness for Mugello. A decision encouraged by his recovery which is proceeding without a hitch.
Good signals from Lorenzo Savadori, as well, fast throughout last weekend in less-than-optimum conditions. The Italian MotoGP rookie is tackling every race with the goal of reducing the gap behind the best, managing to maintain the trend thus far, and in his home race he’ll be looking for further motivation.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"Mugello is a demanding track, even from a physical point of view. Precisely for this reason, I decided to have surgery on my arm after Le Mans, taking advantage of the break for a full recovery. The operation was perfect and I’ll be at the first Italian race in good form. It is an important round for the team on a circuit that has never been our favourite. But now we can count on a decidedly competitive 2021 RS-GP and I can’t wait to see how it will perform in Mugello."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"Le Mans was definitely a good weekend, although the particular conditions preclude an accurate comparison. What counts for me is to continue reducing the gap, improving my confidence on the RS-GP and increasing my experience in this category. It is a path that takes time. Aprilia is supporting me with all of my requests and I am trying to speed up the learning curve. I can’t wait to race in Mugello. It’s a track that I know well, but I've never tackled it astride a MotoGP bike."
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The partnership continues between Sifa SpA and Gresini Racing who will be once again side by side in a very important season. Sifa, one of the biggest packaging companies in Italy, will be - for the second year in a row – technical sponsor o the Faenza-based squad and its brand will be visible inside the Gresini Racing hospitality. 
A family-run company with decades of experience, it currently has three factories in Italy based on a packaging production system with a circular economy design. This is an institution in which design, use and re-use are part of a perfectly synced context of innovation, performance improvement and collaboration with the biggest worldwide technology producers.
LUIGI TRASARTI – CEO AND LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE
“This partnership started in 2020 has surely been a successful one and this is courtesy of the Gresini Racing project, which we joined wholeheartedly this year, too. We feel as an integral part of the #GresiniFamily and it is a pleasure to continue together in this season, which we hope will be a very successful one.”
CARLO MERLINI – GRESINI RACING MARKETING AND COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
“To continue together is always important and last year we started a great journey together which I’m happy to continue also in 2021. It will be a different season for the reasons we all know, but we’re ready to do our best.”
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A GOOD TEAM RESULT SLIPPED AWAY FOR APRILIA IN LE MANS
ALEIX E LORENZO FAST IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS AS WELL, NOW ALL EYES ARE ON MUGELLO
It could have been a great Sunday for Aprilia in Le Mans. In a race that started on dry asphalt and was then interrupted by the rain, with a consequent bike change on pit lane, Aleix started well from the fifth row, moving up into the top 6. The Spanish rider’s pace gave him the potential to gain another spot and, along with it, important championship points. Unfortunately, a problem, currently being investigated by the technicians, shut down his RS-GP ten laps from the end.
Lorenzo was also headed for an important result, achieved in conditions where he proved to be particularly incisive throughout the weekend. When he had to stop, Savadori was managing twelfth place, but with a pace good enough to make up ground on his rivals. Yet another confirmation of the Italian rookie’s consistent growth.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"We missed a great opportunity today where we could have racked up important points against our rivals. The first 5-6 spots were well within my reach, partly because after the bike change, I really felt fast and capable of managing the race. I hope this is just a fluke problem, because the competitive level we have demonstrated even on a complicated weekend like this one is definitely promising."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"I lost a bit of ground at the start due to contact with another rider. Then, when the rain came, I changed bikes and immediately tried to narrow the gap. I was succeeding and lapping well, but a technical problem forced me to retire. In any case, it was an important weekend for me. I tackled these conditions for the first time in MotoGP and continued growing. The latter is still my main objective."
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THE WEATHER PLAYED THE MAIN ROLE ON THE FIRST DAY IN LE MANS
ALEIX CRASHES TWICE WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES, LORENZO DOES WELL IN THE WET
The weather playing the main role is nothing new when it comes to the French GP in Le Mans. In fact, the Bugatti Circuit is famous for its varying weather conditions, capable of sudden turnarounds even during the same session. Today, on the first day of MotoGP practice, the FP1 session was held on a wet track, although a few breaks in the rain began drying off the asphalt toward the end. In the afternoon, on the other hand, the riders were able to use slicks, in spite of temperatures which were anything but summery and some rather intense wind.
These conditions took a significant toll in terms of crashes, including two involving Aleix Espargaró (on turn 3, but inconsequential). The Aprilia rider, finishing tenth in the morning, struggled in the afternoon and, after getting back on the track, had to settle for fourteenth.
Lorenzo Savadori showed good signs in the wet, improving and even finishing sixth this morning. His lack of experience kept him from confirming the good result in FP2, where he finished twentieth.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"A complicated day. I felt good straight away, fast in the wet too, and I was confident at the start of FP2. However, the asphalt conditions were less than ideal. They demanded a bit of caution and I crashed. I went back out on the second bike, which I don’t prefer, but still finding the feeling to be able to push. Unfortunately, the front tyre wasn’t up to temperature and on turn 3 I crashed again. I got the bike back to the garage as quickly as I could and the guys did an incredible job getting me back out onto the track where I only missed the top 10 by about two tenths of a second. Considering what happened, it still shows that we are competitive on this track as well and in these conditions. It will definitely not be a relaxing Saturday for me!"
LORENZO SAVADORI
"An overall positive day, although peculiar. This morning, in the wet, I was able to be fast. In those conditions, the small details count a bit less, so even with less experience, you can narrow the gap. FP2 was a sort of qualifying session. With the track dry, a lot of riders pushed hard on the soft tyre, given how extremely variable the weather is. I used the first part of the session to increase my confidence on a track where I haven’t ridden for about 10 years. Then, in the finale with the new tyre, I made a mistake that unfortunately cost me more than half a second. We’ll keep working. There are stages where I’d like to improve the setup, especially in terms of cornering."
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