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Category: Moto GP
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POINTS FOR ALEIX AT THE END OF A TROUBLED RACE
ANDREA IANNONE CRASHES WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES
The race ridden on the torrid asphalt of Sepang (Malaysia) was not a simple one. Aleix Espargaró, who started from the fourteenth spot on the grid, managed to move his way up the field just outside the top 10 before losing two positions in the battles that took place in the race finale. In spite of a good race pace, the Spaniard's performance was limited by the difficulty overtaking.
Teammate Andrea Iannone was also riding a decent race, battling for a finish in the points. Unfortunately, too much time spent in the slipstream heated up the front tyre and he ended up having a crash on turn 9, harmless for the Italian, but enough to put him out of the action.
ALEIX ESPARGARÒ
"I cannot be pleased with this race, especially because I had a decidedly better pace than my finishing position reflects. Unfortunately, our limitations in acceleration make it very difficult to overtake. I lost time today behind Bagnaia and in the battle with Pol. In the end, I limited the damage, even in terms of gap. Now we’ll prepare our best for Valencia and next season."
ANDREA IANNONE
"It was a strange race. I didn't have a bad pace, but I was slow in speed, staying in the slipstream for a long time and things did not improve. The temperatures began to rise, including the front tyre temperature, and I struggled until the crash. We have work to do, but I have peace of mind. I’ll be ready when we are able to make an important step forward."
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IN AUSTRALIA TWO APRILIAS IN THE TOP TEN WITH ANDREA SIXTH AND ALEIX TENTH
IT IS THE BEST RESULT EVER FOR APRILIA IN THE HISTORY OF MOTOGP
ANDREA FINISHES LESS THAN 8 TENTHS FROM THE PODIUM, ALEIX CONSISTENTLY IN THE BATTLE WITH THE LEADERS
With its riders putting in an outstanding performance, Aprilia was one of the protagonists in the Australian GP. Starting very well from the third row – Aprilia had never before had two riders in the top ten on the starting grid – Andrea and Aleix settled in stably with the lead group. In the early stages, they occupied third and fifth place for quite a while with Andrea who, on the third lap, even had the satisfaction of overtaking Márquez and then Crutchlow for first place. Starting with the soft on the rear, they both had to manage the natural wear of the tyre but they never gave up, playing key roles in the leading pack and, after Viñales and Márquez pulled away, in the group battling for the podium.
In the end, Andrea took home a nice sixth place, finishing just 7.8 tenths from the podium, while Aleix finished tenth as a testament to the overall great performance of the RS-GP on the demanding and beautiful Phillip Island circuit.
This is Aprilia’s best placement ever in the history of MotoGP, where two bikes from Noale had never been so high in the rankings and so close to the podium. The result comes at the end of a primarily positive weekend where the RS-GP machines had been consistently fast in practice and in qualifying, with Andrea finishing Q1 in second place, going through to Q2, and Aleix second in the morning warm up session.
ALEIX ESPARGARÒ
"This is a special track for us, different from the other circuits, and I had fun straight away as soon as we got here. We stayed consistently with the best group which was battling for the podium in a fun race with a lot of overtaking. It seemed like a Moto3 race, but with a lot faster and heavier bikes! In order to be even more competitive, I would have needed more grip on the rear, so I was unable to ride exactly as I expected, having to make up a lot of ground in braking."
ANDREA IANNONE
"It was a positive race for us, but we worked well throughout the weekend. I had a good feeling straight away and I realised from the first practice session that it would be a good opportunity for us. There were obviously many details that helped, beginning with the characteristics of this track, and it’s a pity about some contact in the finale. I lost a winglet and the bike was no longer perfectly balanced. But it was thrilling to ride the Aprilia out front and for that I wish to thank all the guys here and in Noale who are working their hardest and the CEO who supports us in our growth. I hope to be able to bring them more satisfaction. This is only my first season with Aprilia and it was not exactly simple, but we were never lacking in determination and commitment."
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FOURTH AND SIXTH ROW FOR THE APRILIAS IN THE GP OF THAILAND
ALEIX TWELFTH AND ANDREA SIXTEENTH AFTER QUALIFYING
Going straight through to Q2 based on his good placement yesterday when he finished seventh, Aleix Espargaró ended the day in twelfth place with a time of 1’31.258 without improving on his time from yesterday, a placement that earns him a spot on the fourth row of the starting grid tomorrow. On a much-feared circuit, the RS-GP took a clear step forward compared to last year and the good sensations he has had since Friday leave Aleix confident for the race tomorrow.
Andrea stopped in the first qualifying session (Q1), lapping at a time of 1,31.428 which is a step forward compared to yesterday, but not enough to go through to Q2, which he missed by just 4 and a half tenths.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"In qualifying I could have aimed for the top 10. The pace and feeling during the other sessions were good. Unfortunately, with the first tyre I did not have good sensations - it slid around a lot - and with the second I may have gotten a bit carried away in the moment. I pushed hard the entire lap and in the end it didn’t pay off on the time sheets. I expect a very hard race. With these temperatures, you have to manage tyre wear well. I am ready to battle. At the beginning of the weekend I would have signed on the dotted line to have this feeling on one of the most difficult tracks for us."
ANDREA IANNONE
"We have good potential in the more flowing part of the track. I've been riding behind other riders and we are able to maintain the pace. However, I can’t be fully satisfied, because we are still losing a lot in the first two sectors and that is a handicap that keeps me from improving. I am giving it my all. I am at the team’s complete disposal and they are at mine. We have improved the bike since the beginning of the season and now you can tell, but these are not things that are solved from one day to the next. The race won’t be a walk in the park, but we’ll put forth our best effort on the track."
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OUTSTANDING TEAM EFFORT FOR THE APRILIAS AT ARAGÓN
ALEIX BATTLES WITH THE TOP TEN AND FINISHES SEVENTH FIVE SECONDS FROM THE PODIUM
ANDREA, SUFFERING WITH PAIN IN HIS SHOULDER, BATTLES AND FINISHES JUST OUTSIDE THE TOP TEN
At Aragón Aprilia takes the best result of the season, with Aleix Espargaró finishing seventh, but close to the leaders, and Andrea Iannone, still suffering with pain in his shoulder after the Misano accident, finishing eleventh.
After the good sessions yesterday that had placed him on the second row, Aleix started off strong, holding onto his position and fending off an attack by Rossi, staying close to the group of top riders battling for podium positions. The battle with Crutchlow for sixth continued all the way to the last lap when Aleix recovered ground, finishing in the Brit’s slipstream but, more importantly, keeping the gap to five and a half seconds behind the second place finisher in a race where the winner – Marquez – was in a race by himself. This is a great result that placed Aleix among the protagonists in the Spanish race and it is an excellent way to head off for the overseas tour.
Throughout the race Andrea had to deal with pain in the left shoulder he injured in Misano. He gritted his teeth and, although having to dose out his strength, he remained consistently in the positions battling for the top ten. He missed it by less than half a second, but after a nice battle where he prevailed over Petrucci precisely on the final lap. The week-long break before flying out to Thailand will be essential for his full physical recovery.
Bradley Smith, in the race with the third RS-GP, finished nineteenth, completing the work he had planned with the Test Team.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"Today’s result was good. The team and I gave 100% and we deserve it. At the start, with the fuel tank full, I didn’t have the best feeling with the front end, but things got better and better after a few laps. I had fun. Battling in the leading group is always nice, although the characteristics of the track undoubtedly helped us."
ANDREA IANNONE
"This weekend I had to grit my teeth and even in the race, the pain in my shoulder forced me to save my energy, especially when grip began to decrease. I am pleased with the team result, but we need to keep working hard, first and foremost, to reduce the gap in acceleration and top speed compared to Aleix. We can’t let this race fool us. This is a track that suits the Aprilia well and we still have a long way to go."
BRADLEY SMITH
"It was a good day for Aprilia, the result of hard work by everyone. I am happy, first of all, about finishing the race, since in my last wild cards that had not been possible. We took a shot in the dark, starting with an entirely new setting. It was also a functional decision because of the tests we’ll be doing here in a few days, during which we want to give Aleix and Andrea a little extra help for the rest of the season."
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At the chequeredflag the gap with second-place rider Garzo was more than two seconds, with the Spaniard now second in the standings 19 points behind Ferrari. There is now only Valencia left, the second and last doubleheader to wrap up the season in November.
Lorenzo Savadori, on the other hand, was 11that the chequered flag and after staying with the big group and with a good battle with Terol he got to the chequered flag side by side with Terol, missing a top-ten finish for a split second.
It was a perfect weekend for Team Trentino Gresini, who will now get into an almost two-month break before the season finale in Valencia.
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