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Category: Moto GP
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Bautista and Melandri on the track to improve with their RS-GP bikes
Austin (Texas - USA), 7 April 2015 - The second round of the 2015 MotoGP season, scheduled on the track at Austin, Texas, has Aprilia continuing its growth and development project.
In the opening round at Qatar it was Marco Melandri who rode his Aprilia RS-GP across the wire in his first race distance outing, whereas Alvaro Bautista – who had shown excellent signs during the test sessions on Saturday – was forced to withdraw due to damage to the braking system after contact with Marc Marquez in the first lap.
Bautista's performance in particular would have been important to have a “snapshot” of the progress made by Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, since this is the testing spirit with which the team is facing this first part of the season. In any case, the American round will provide the setting for a second and important test bench.
ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
“A season that is so packed, with eighteen GP races on the calendar, doesn't leave us much time even to complain. We left Qatar disappointed that we weren't able to assess Bautista's performance over race distance, but here is a second chance. For us it will be another fundamental test on our itinerary and obtaining information during the race would be really important. In the opening weekend we received confirmation of just how hard a challenge we accepted, but we also achieved some positive results that we'll be able to confirm during this American round in order to lay some solid cornerstones for development.”
FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
“After a Grand Prix as peculiar as the night race in Qatar, in Texas we'll be back on the track in conditions that we are obviously more accustomed to. The Losail track proved to be particularly demanding, but we expected that. Our Championship strategy is to learn all the tracks on the calendar so we can arrive at the 2016 season fully prepared from every point of view. Looking at it that way, Circuit of the Americas, which is a very complete track with fast turns and long straight stretches mixed with a more flowing part, represents another important test bench and a chance to collect important data. After the episode that involved Alvaro with no fault of his own during the race in Losail, our goal for this round is to have both riders finish the race, testing and taking a first step forward in terms of performance as well, both on the flying lap and race pace.”
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“In Texas we'll be taking on a completely different track than the one that hosted the first Grand Prix of the year. During the winter test sessions at Valencia, Jerez and Sepang the bike consistently performed the same way basically, whereas in Qatar we were facing new situations, but we don't know if that had to do with the particular characteristics of the track or the particular racing conditions with not much grip on the tarmac. So I'm anxious to get onto the track in Austin, a track with some hard braking sections and long straight stretches where we'll be able to check some important things concerning the way the RS-GP performs and continue our development work on the bike. It is essential for us to find the right motivation straight away after our disappointment in the first Grand Prix, where I was unable to complete even the first lap of the race, and get back to work with a positive attitude.”
MARCO MELANDRI
“Austin is a new track for me, so I am expecting a demanding weekend. In any case I think that finishing the race in Qatar was a helpful first experience and I hope it was also useful for the guys at Aprilia to make some important changes that will be able to help me gain more confidence on the bike. Now I'd like to take a few steps forward and at least try to get into the pack of riders ahead of me. It won't be easy, but I'm anxious to try.”
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Grand Prix podium finisher and renowned personality ‘Stavros’ will take to the track at Jerez on 19-21 June to compete against the ever-growing list of Legends
 Fan-favourite Steve ‘Stavros’ Parrish will return to the race track for the first ever World GP Bike Legends – an unprecedented event that will see a huge collection of motorcycle racing stars donning their leathers to do battle at Jerez, Spain on 19-21 June.
Parrish is a veteran of over 50 grands prix, scoring his best result of third place in France in 1982. Team-mate to one of the greatest legends of them all – the inimitable Barry Sheene – in his debut 1977 World Championship season, Parrish soon gained a reputation as a larger than life character in the paddock, and he’s sure to be the source of plenty of entertainment when he’s reunited with his old accomplices at Jerez in June.
“I think what the guys are putting together at Jerez could be something very special,” enthused Parrish. “It’s going to be great to blow off the cobwebs and actually race with everyone again. I can’t think of many better ways to spend a summer weekend than in Spain with your mates and some of the most amazing racing machines ever built – in fact the more I think about it the better it sounds! With live music and everything else on offer it’ll be a weekend to remember – I can smell the two stroke oil already...”
Having gone on to win British Superbike and truck racing championships, Parrish is sure to be a contender in the ‘Race of Legends’ – a flat out contest between some of the sport’s biggest names aboard their original racing machines from the 1980s and 1990s. Already confirmed are former world champions Freddie Spencer, Wayne Gardner, Christian Sarron and Kevin Schwantz, with Didier de Radiguès and Graeme Crosby also signed up to compete.
The weekend will feature 125cc, 250cc and 500cc classes with full practice, qualifying and races across the three days. These battles will be some of the highlights of the entertainment-filled event that includes not only a huge collection of racing icons but also live music from the likes of Bonnie Tyler and Toseland as well as an amazing shopping village and unparalleled access to grandstands, paddock and pits all included in the standard ticket price.
There are currently significant early bird discounts on weekend tickets – with the full weekend price fixed at €55 until 31 March 2015. Tickets provide bike fans will full access to grandstands, race paddocks, the trade village and the live music concerts. For more information go to www.worldgpbikelegends.com
Keep updated with all the news as it happens by following World GP Bike Legends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Photo caption: Steve Parrish will be racing a host of other legendary riders at Jerez on June 19-21
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THREE DAYS OF WORK AT JEREZ AFTER THE OPENING ROUND AT PHILLIP ISLAND WITH A WIN AND FIRST PLACE IN THE STANDINGS
In view of the second round at Aragon Melandri and Guintoli tested chassis setups and electronics.
Aprilia will arrive at the first European race leading the Rider championship with Guintoli, in third place with Melandri and at the top of the Manufacturer standings.
Jerez, 2 April 2014 - The long break after the Australian first round at Phillip Island gave the World SBK teams and riders a chance to recharge their batteries in view of the first European round which will be held at the Spanish Aragon circuit on 13 April. In order to regain familiarity with "race mode" and to hone their weapons in view of the next round, the Aprilia Racing Team had three days of testing on the Jerez track in Andalusia, where current championship leader Sylvain Guintoli and team mate Marco Melandri, third in the standings after the first round, were hard at work.
The first two days, marked by sunny skies but a lot of wind and mild temperatures, gave the Aprilia Racing Team standard bearers a chance to get a lot of laps in, completing a heavy workload and gathering fundamental information to develop the RSV4. While for Sylvain this was an opportunity to further increase his confidence on the track since he skipped the winter test sessions, at the same time trying out some new electronic and chassis solutions, Marco Melandri took advantage of the tests to explore the potential of the RSV4, a new bike for him in his first Aprilia SBK season. During the more than 150 laps he took the rider from Ravenna was able to test a variety of setups and electronic configurations aimed at increasing his familiarity with the bike, in addition to refining his riding style in search of the best harmony with the bike which is the reigning Champion of the Manufacturer Championship.
Winner of Race 2 at Phillip Island, Sylvain Guintoli put in a total of more than 160 laps at a good pace, confirming the positive feeling he demonstrated after the first race. His right shoulder, injured last year and operated on twice during the winter break, also held up well under stress which means that this can now be filed away as an overcome problem.
Marco Melandri: "Fortunately we were able to get a lot of work done, focusing on what we didn't like about Phillip Island. On the first day we concentrated on shock absorption on the bumps and going into turns, whereas on the second day we tried to lap and get the RSV4 to close out the turns better. It was difficult but in the end we managed to put together a package that will allow us to improve. We had some other ideas we wanted to try out as well but unfortunately we weren't able to do a lot of work on the third day. At Aragon I expect to see a leap of quality which is what we need to win."
Sylvain Guintoli: "For us these three days were important, first and foremost to get back into the saddle after Phillip Island. This has been a very long break and I needed to get some kilometres in with the bike. We also had quite a few details we needed to test, besides new electronics strategies, so these were some pretty intense tests. I'm happy with the refinements. When we get to Aragon we'll be strong and motivated and that's what's important."
Romano Albesiano: "These were three very useful days of testing for the development of the RSV4. There are still a few improvements to focus on, both from electronics and a chassis point of view. Final race pace performance is not bad, but it still isn't enough. At Jerez we gathered some important information that helps us to have a very clear idea on which direction we need to go."
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 The Pata Honda team has announced the introduction of a nepotistic youth policy designed to enhance development and ensure continuity of its world championship racing programme.
On tomorrow’s third and final day of the World Superbike championship test currently taking place at Jerez in Spain, regular riders Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea will hand over their Honda CBR1000RR SP racing machines to their respective young sons. Despite being less than a year old, Max Haslam and Jake Rea are deemed to have inherited sufficient quantities of the so-called ‘speed gene’ to warrant a full test on the sophisticated production race bikes. The Pata Honda crew has lowered the ride height on both CBR machines and engaged the services of a goo-ga translator to record feedback from the would-be young racers.
Leon Haslam
It’ll be interesting to see if young Max has got it. The ‘rocket’ that is, which is coincidentally what me and my dad have on our salad when it’s in season. I reckon he’ll be fast though – he’s got a bit of a weight advantage.
Jonathan Rea
Jake was born a month or two after Max but we’ve been weening him on Manx kippers to build up his strength. He had a wee go on my CRF450R motocrosser on the Isle of Man, so I had to clean up the seat after, but he’ll be right.
Pieter Breddels - youth development manager
With world championship racers seemingly getting younger every year – just like policemen, really – we’ve decided that we need to start investing in youth. Jonathan’s father raced and won a TT and Leon’s dad was pretty handy, too, so it absolutely HAS to be a genetic thing. If it’s not, we’re going to look a bit silly, but the lads will have had some fun.
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The Pata Honda World Superbike team has completed a private three-day test at the Circuito Cartagena near Murcia in Spain.
It is the first time that riders Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea have ridden their new Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines since returning from the opening round of the 2014 World Superbike championship at Phillip Island in Australia one month ago.
The pair used the test to continue development of chassis settings on their CBR machines, as well as refining power delivery and traction control. They will stay in Spain this weekend and move further south to Circuito de Jerez for another three-day test which starts next Monday.
Round two of the World Superbike championship will also take place in Spain, at Motorland Aragon on 11-13 April.
Leon Haslam
Yeah, I’m happy with this test and we were able to make some good progress with the overall CBR package. We tested a new swingarm and some other chassis settings and we’re still waiting for one or two other elements to come through. We also worked on traction control which is a lot better now and to go 0.3s under the circuit record was a good way to finish. We’re going to do a bit of cycling before heading down to Jerez and we’ll see what the weather brings us down there.
Jonathan Rea
We’ve made some really good steps here and our test rider, Michele Magnoni, did a really good job over the first couple of days, especially on Wednesday when it was really windy. I rode with some new strategies that he was developing and I’m happy to be able to ride more aggressively on longer runs. The speed over one lap was good, too, but I was more satisfied with the longer runs. We also tried a lot of chassis settings, varying pivot points and things, and the bike is definitely steering better on tighter lines.
Pieter Breddels
It’s been a really good test. I can’t really say much more. Apart from the really strong winds on Wednesday, the weather has allowed us to get through a lot of work and both Jonathan and Leon were able to go faster than the old lap record here at Cartagena. Apart from the chassis settings, we concentrated on throttle opening and getting the traction control to catch slides more predictably. I think both riders are feeling a lot more confident about that. We have three more days testing at Jerez next week but, at the moment, the weather forecast is not looking too good for that, so I’m glad we got this time at Cartagena.
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