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Category: Moto GP
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APRILIA PREPARES FOR THE SECOND ROUND IN QATAR
The double race on the same circuit is one of the changes that the MotoGP circus made in response to the limitations generated by the international situation. After the experience last season, riders and teams have learned to tackle what is, in all actuality, a new challenge. In fact, the double round presents some unique situations: the setup, if possible, must go into even more detail, without neglecting the obvious adjustments to the changed asphalt conditions.
This is no simple task, particularly for Aprilia, as they are still exploring the potential of the revamped RS-GP. Feedback from the first GP was positive, especially for Aleix Espargaró, finishing seventh but having brought his bike to a gap of just 5 seconds and 93 hundredths from the winner. Never, in all its history, has Aprilia been so high in the MotoGP field.
Lorenzo Savadori, on the other hand, will be making the most of the experience gained during the first weekend. Still not perfectly at ease, both because of a lack of confidence on the new bike and due to a shoulder which continues to limit him, Lorenzo will continue his apprenticeship, seeking to increase his performance level.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"The first weekend gave us the feedback we were looking for. We showed, even for those who were sceptical, that we have taken a step forward in the race, as well as in practice. We still have room to grow and the double round here in Doha will give us a chance to continue improving the RS-GP. Goals? Shaving off a few tenths in qualifying and increasing race pace. Getting even closer to the leaders would mean battling for an important result. It won’t be easy. Everyone will have the chance to improve, including solving some problems they had in the first race, so I expect the competition to be even fiercer."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"Even if the first race didn’t go as we had hoped, for us it was important to gather information on how the new bike behaves. We’ll use what we learned last weekend to set up our work. We know what our weak points will be and that’s where we’ll have to focus. During the break, I tried to recuperate as much as possible and, although it has improved, my shoulder is still a limitation. The situation is manageable during practice, but I can definitely feel the strain in the race."
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ALEIX BATTLES, SETS THE PACE AND STAYS WITH THE BEST: APRILIA IS IN THE MIX
A SEVENTH PLACE THAT BOOSTS CONFIDENCE AND PROVIDES CERTAINTIES
The question mark was erased with a great performance by Aleix in the first race in Qatar. The new Aprilia RS-GP is fast, consistent and capable of battling with the best. The seventh-place finish today is worth more than it might seem. The gap from the leader is under six seconds, despite a few tenths lost in overtaking - an important message that rewards the hard work on the track and in Noale.
After a good start, Aleix suffered a few attacks straight away in the early stages where, with a full tank, the rider from Granollers preferred not taking any pointless risks. Once he had set his pace, he began an unstoppable comeback, with times that made him the fastest on track in the central phase of the race. Precise and confident overtaking, Espargaró clawed his way all the way up to a seventh-place finish.
It was a demanding race for teammate Savadori, reckoning with a shoulder that suffered over race distance and with a feeling that still needs to be perfected. For the Italian rookie, finishing the race, accumulating data and gaining experience was fundamental, as well as setting up his race for next week, which will once again be here in Qatar.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I am happy. Seventh place may not seem like much, but I showed that I am able to stay with the best all the way to the end, with a gap behind the leader that had never before been so low. In some stages of the race I was cautious, especially overtaking, where I tried to be clean and not risk, and that certainly cost us a few tenths. But after the positive tests and after all the efforts of the team here and in Noale, it was important not to make any mistakes. Now we definitely know that we can be in the game. We are fast, not only in practice, but also when it counts, and that is fundamental."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"A difficult race, both because of my shoulder that was bothering me, especially at the beginning, and also because we still need to improve. I don’t have the right feeling to push. I struggle with a full tank and managing the tyres. Finishing the race was important because, analysing the data, we’ll be able to continue working on the RS-GP. The bike definitely has great potential, as Aleix’s performance demonstrates. Now, during the days off, I’ll try to recuperate as much as possible to be ready for next weekend."
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GOOD PACE AND THIRD ROW ON THE GRID: ALEIX READY FOR THE FIRST RACE OF THE SEASON
LORENZO CONTINUES TO IMPROVE, CONSISTENTLY RECUPERATING PHYSICALLY
There are certain sessions where you have to look deeper into the analysis, without stopping at the final position. That was the case for the first qualifiers of the season today in Qatar, where Aleix finished with the eighth best time (1'53.315) and a spot on the third row. However, the timer also shows that less than one tenth separates him from the second row, whereas just over 2 tenths kept him from finishing on the first row.
These stats confirm both the extraordinary level MotoGP has reached, where riders are increasingly more often separated by incredibly small gaps, and the good form demonstrated by the Aleix/Aprilia duo.
On the other side of the garage, Lorenzo Savadori continues working hard, able to count on a consistently improving physical condition. The Italian is gradually making up the time lost during the winter tests, trying to improve the settings on his RS-GP. Tomorrow, he will be adding more, fundamental miles to his apprenticeship.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I can confirm what I said yesterday in terms of feeling with the bike. I'm having fun riding the new RS-GP and I believe in its potential. We may still have some limits in qualifying. I did some very good laps without mistakes, but it wasn’t enough for a spot on the second row. Race strategies will be fundamental. Today we saw some incredible times, but tomorrow in the final laps, race pace will go up quite a bit. We’ll see how this will translate for us. Today we did a few long runs, but this bike’s true potential is still unknown."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"Thanks especially to the good conditions of my shoulder, we are trying to work on the bike to make up for lost time during the winter tests, where I was unable to do more than 2 or 3 laps in a row. We are still lacking something, despite the fact that I could have improved my time in qualifying if I hadn’t made a small mistake. We’ll see tomorrow. Some of our rivals don’t seem so far away in terms of pace, but I'm curious to see how the RS-GP performs."
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Aleix and Aprilia pick up where they had left off, with an extremely solid performance on the first official day of the MotoGP season in Qatar. The Spanish rider’s feeling with the new RS-GP was clear from FP1, where his times were consistently on the high end of the standings, despite the less-than-optimum track conditions. The more indicative FP2 session was a repeat of the earlier one, where Aleix stayed in the lead for quite some time. Traffic on the track at the end of the session kept him from shaving a bit more off his time, but his final eighth place and, more importantly, his great consistency, place him among the possible protagonists of the weekend.
The good news for Lorenzo Savadori came especially from his shoulder, significantly improved with respect to the recent IRTA tests. The Italian still doesn’t have a perfect feeling in acceleration, which is where Lorenzo and his team will focus their work tomorrow.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I am satisfied with this start. After the tests, which went well, I had some doubts because when the race weekend begins, the values on the pitch can change. Instead, we confirmed our level today too. I am especially happy with how easy it is for me to be fast with the new RS-GP. It is a fun bike to ride. I feel like I am exploiting it well and the times show that. Now I want to focus on qualifying because I think it is possible to do well in those conditions too. There will be a lot of aspects to assess on Sunday in the race with a completely new bike, from how it performs in the slipstream to fuel consumption. We are tackling one session at a time, but with a very positive spirit."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"The most important thing today is definitely the condition of my shoulder, which is reacting well, and that gives me peace of mind, even though it still hasn't fully healed. As for the bike, we identified the areas where we need to work, namely acceleration. At the moment, I am not fully exploiting rear tyre grip and in this category that is precisely where you can make the difference. On one hand, knowing which direction to concentrate on is positive, and on the other, the solution might not be so immediate. We have a few ideas and we’ll put them into practice tomorrow."
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TRACK CONDITIONS HALT THE IRTA TESTS IN QATAR EARLY
THE NEW APRILIA RS-GP CONFIRMED THE GOOD LEVEL ALREADY HIGHLIGHTED IN JEREZ
ALEIX IS CONSISTENTLY AMONG THE LEADERS, LORENZO IMPROVES BUT IS LIMITED BY A SHOULDER PROBLEM
The strong winds and a dirty track forced the MotoGP riders to wrap up early for the IRTA tests in Qatar, the second session on the Losail track. In any case, the work done so far gives Aprilia good reason to be optimistic for the first two rounds of the 2021 season which will be held just days away right here on the same asphalt.
These were just the first steps toward a new season and further confirmation is needed, but the new RS-GP, which already had positive feedback during the private tests in Jerez, showed good competitiveness both on the flying lap and in terms of pace. Especially with Aleix Espargaró, consistently among the fastest, whereas garage mate Lorenzo Savadori, although showing improvement, had to reckon with soreness from a shoulder injury that is proving to be more troublesome than expected.
Such a young bike obviously has room for improvement, so the team will be working on that in about ten days during the first official weekend. With the realistic goal of battling in the leading group.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"It’s a shame we weren't able to lap today and about the crash yesterday during the race simulation. Besides that, I am satisfied. These tests confirmed the good job that was done over the winter. The 2021 RS-GP has improved. We were consistently fast in spite of the extremely high level demonstrated by the Championship. This does not mean that there is no work to be done. We were unable to try everything we wanted to and, above all, only in the race will we truly be able to understand where our level is. Goals? Keep our feet on the ground, well aware that we can finally battle in the leading group."
LORENZO SAVADORI
"These tests were severely conditioned for me by problems with my shoulder. It is an injury that would need some down time to heal. From now to the race there will be a bit of time to recuperate, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to be at 100%. In any case, we were able to see the improvements on the new RS-GP which is more stable, has more grip and provides better ergonomics. There are areas where I still am not entirely confident, for example coming out of corners, but we're working on it. Both with the team and changing my riding style, also listening to Aleix’s valuable advice."
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