Category: Moto GP

1. MOTOGP TESTS AT JEREZ: THE SEAMLESS GEARBOX MAKES ITS DEBUT ON THE APRILIA RS-GP

   Posted on 7:00pm Monday 4th May 2015

   Jerez, (Spain), 4 May 2015 – The day after the Jerez de la Frontera race, where Aprilia Racing Team Gresini continues improving with Alvaro Bautista's performance and the progress Marco Melandri made in the race, development on the RS-GP does not stop.
   
   In the tests scheduled for today on the Andalusian track the seamless gearbox (continuous engagement), active in upshifting as well, made its début and was immediately appreciated by Bautista who was the first official rider to ride it onto the track.
   
   The Italian team's entire season has been and will be characterised by continuous experimentation with technical solutions which serve both to improve the performance of the RS-GP and to provide data and information for the design of the prototype that will race in the 2016 season. For this the technical step today takes on particular importance and paves the way for the new gearbox's race début which could take place in one of the next European MotoGP rounds. The team also worked on new chassis solutions, particularly on a new frame and swingarm. The test results will now be processed at the Noale headquarters in order to prepare for the upcoming races.
   
   
   ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
   “Today was a very positive day. For the first time we put our seamless gearbox technology, a particular Aprilia solution, on the track with an official rider. Alvaro liked it very much and found a clear advantage straight away compared to the conventional gearbox. So it was a complete success which now means that we'll have to work hard to get it into a race as quickly as possible. Considering how things went today I think we'll be able to do that soon, within the next two or three races. I'd like to have it for Mugello or at the latest for Barcelona. Marco did his job, bringing in new chassis ideas, some we liked and some not so much, so we still have some work to do in that area. In short I would say that, between the race and the tests, we are finishing up this trip to Jerez pretty well.”
   
   FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
   “Days like this are fundamental, especially for us as we are taking on a season where we need to learn and grow. They help us understand what steps to take in order to improve. In the end Alvaro also put in a good time with 1’39.766, but in these tests it is just as important to figure out which solutions to reject. Any new information is important, but to understand where to direct the technical advancements and to avoid going down paths that lead nowhere. Everything works together to make progress in the development of such an important project.”

2. MOTOGP QUALIFIERS AT JEREZ

   Posted on 9:43am Sunday 3rd May 2015

   Bautista puts the fifteenth best time on the sheets to take a spot on the fifth row, his best performance thus far in the early stages of the season
   
   Jerez (Spain), 2nd May 2015 - Alvaro Bautista rode his RS-GP to fifteenth place (in 1’39.612) and with his best performance qualifying in this early part of the season he secured a spot on the fifth row for tomorrow's race.
   
   This is a sign of the progress that Aprilia Racing Team Gresini has achieved in the first rounds of the championship, moving the Spanish rider into that group that is the short-term goal at the moment. Now the challenge remains to confirm the progress shown today in a race tomorrow that promises to be difficult due to the hot conditions and poor grip. Melandri is a bit farther back, twenty-fifth (1’41.273) and also hindered by problems with his brakes on his best laps.
   
   ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
   
   “My compliments to Alvaro who did very well both in qualifying and in the morning free practice. Now we need to work on making this performance consistent. We have the potential to ride a good race. I'm pleased because we are making progress and strengthening our presence in a group of bikes and riders who are much farther ahead of us in terms of MotoGP experience. This is a great result considering the fact that ours is truly a lab bike and that we are really learning a lot in preparation for next season. It was a shame that Marco also had problems with his brakes and that kept him from performing at his best.”
   
   FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
   
   “Today Bautista deserves a great round of applause. He put a really good time on the sheets and lapped fast despite the really difficult conditions due to the heat. He put in a respectable time that gives us confidence for a race that will be hard for everyone. I think we'll be able to do well tomorrow. Starting strong will be important and we have a good spot on the grid. Then it will be important to find the right race pace straight away because it will be challenging both physically for the rider and for the tyres.”
   
   ALVARO BAUTISTA
   
   “We worked well today to improve compared to yesterday. It was a positive day, partly because of all the data we were able to acquire. On my flying lap I simply tried to be as precise as possible, riding the bike that I felt most confident on, but we can even improve more on this, especially in the acceleration phase where I'm still lacking a lot of grip. The race will be hard. This track really eats up the tyres and making the right choice will be important. Today I tested the hard front tyre and I think that's what I'll go with for the race, whereas on the rear we'll mount the soft tyre. I think it is consistent enough for race length.”
   
   MARCO MELANDRI
   
   “We worked hard in all the sessions and then reaped less of a reward than we wanted in the qualifying session. Today I was also having some problems with the brakes but the truth is that I need some really radical changes and until I am entirely confident on the bike I just won't be able to push the way I'd like to.”

3. World GP Bike Legends sponsors Remy Gardner at Jerez MotoGP‏

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 2nd May 2015

   Rising star in Moto3 and son of racing legend Wayne Gardner backed by upcoming classic GP extravaganza.

   World GP Bike Legends will be in the international spotlight this weekend at the MotoGP World Championship, Jerez, as it teams up with Remy Gardner and team CIP Moto. Remy, son of 1987 World Champion Wayne Gardner, is now carving his own path in grand prix motorcycle racing in the fiercely competitive proving ground of Moto3.

   About Remy Gardner and CIP Moto
   
   Remy has been riding bikes since he was four years old and was introduced to road racing aged eleven. After competing in the Spanish CEV championship, Remy is ambitious and dedicated to developing a successful GP career. For 2015 he signed with the CIP Moto team to become the only Australian riding full time in Moto3 – Remy's Mahindra MGP30 is one of nine Mahindra bikes competing in the current season. Remy is the eldest son of 1987 500cc motorcycle World Champion Wayne Gardner and has already shown plenty of that same courage and talent that took the Wollongong Whiz to the pinnacle of the sport.

   In 1987 Wayne was the first Australian to win the premier motorcycle racing class aboard a brutal 500cc Honda – he also won the first ever GP at Jerez in the same year. Now he will be racing in the first ever World GP Bike Legends festival, also at Jerez on 19-21 June.

   World GP Bike Legends is a full three-day motorcycle festival not only featuring an incredible line-up of former world champions and race winners competing against each other on classic machinery, but also a host of off-track entertainment too. Live music from Bonnie Tyler, Toseland and some of the best-known tribute acts will close the show on Friday and Saturday nights, whilst live action displays, classic and modern bike displays, a classic auction and a shopping village will keep fans entertained from dawn to dusk.

   Nick Wigley, CEO of World GP Bike Legends organiser, Goose Live Events, is delighted to have Remy riding under the WGPBL banner, and said: “We've come to know Wayne really well recently and we believe that Remy has it in his blood to do well. It’s fantastic to be able to back a budding young talent at World Championship level, whilst at the same time looking back and appreciating the path riders like his father carved to bring racing to where it is today. We hope that the MotoGP fans making the pilgrimage to Jerez will feel the same way and book another trip to the famous circuit in June and see Wayne racing again.”
   
   Wayne Gardner, rider ambassador for the event, and one of the many legends taking to the track to compete said: “It’s brilliant to be able to share my racing with my boys. It’s Remy’s first full season in Moto3 and he’s learning so much every event – hopefully he’ll be able to give me some tips after the Jerez Moto3 round before I line up on the grid in June! I’m so excited about getting out and racing with my rivals again, and to have World GP Bike Legends supporting Remy is fantastic.”
   
   Remy Gardner, CIP Moto team rider in the 2015 Moto3 World Championship, said: “There are going to be two awesome weekends at Jerez this year – one now and one when my Dad races in June! Everyone knows how hardcore those 500cc 2-strokes were, so I think it’s a great chance for MotoGP fans to go along and check it out. Hopefully we can keep moving forward this weekend and get some strong results for CIP Moto – a big thanks to World GP Bike Legends for supporting me!"

   For more information about World GP Bike Legends including ticket details, rider line-up, entertainment, live music and all the latest news about this three-day motorcycle festival, head to www.worldgpbikelegends.com

4. MOTOGP HEADS TO EUROPE FOR THE JEREZ ROUND

   Posted on 10:58am Wednesday 29th Apr 2015

   Bautista and Melandri are keen to confirm the progress demonstrated during the last race in Argentina
   
   Jerez (Spain), 28 April 2015 - Aprilia Racing Team Gresini comes to the first European round to confirm the initial progress demonstrated by the RS-GP bikes in the American rounds. At Austin the first point was earned thanks to Bautista's placement and in Argentina the gap behind the leaders and the central pack of bikes and riders was reduced significantly with Melandri almost catching his team mate up.

   The classic round on the Jerez track is just around the corner to confirm and consolidate this growth process which is the primary goal of the 2015 season for the Italian team. The first set of European races should also allow the team to work more on the bikes and accelerate development.
   
   
   ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
   "The first three races showed us just how big a challenge we accepted by entering MotoGP a year ahead of schedule. It's no surprise but rather it confirms that the level of bikes and riders, grown compared to recent seasons, is very high. For this reason we are looking at our initial progress as a positive and important sign. In particular in Argentina both riders crossed the wire, reduced the gap behind the leaders and finished just a few seconds (just over four) behind that central pack which is our goal at the moment. Marco has also come much closer to Alvaro in confirmation of his improved feeling with the bike. These are all important indications that we need to confirm. The next few weeks will also let us to speed up development on the RS-GP, an operation which is quite complex during non-European rounds, following the indications that can out of this first part of the season."
   
   FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
   “At Jerez the long European season of the Championship begins on a track where we have already tested. It would be nice to be able to take a few more steps forward. After all, in Argentina we already showed that we can fight for positions from twelfth on, which is in line with our expectations. We'll keep working to grow step by step, determined and strongly motivated.”
   
   ALVARO BAUTISTA
   "Like every year the Jerez round is a special occasion for me. There will be a lot of fans there to support me. We'll keep working hard on developing the bike like we did both in Austin and in Argentina, hoping to be able to identify new valid solutions. The track is very difficult with all kinds of turns so it will be important to work well on the setup and on power distribution as well because there are a lot of sections where the bikes restart at low speeds where good grip is needed.”
   
   MARCO MELANDRI
   “The Jerez track is really nice but it is also quite difficult and complete from a technical point of view with both slow turns and fast turns. Restarting after the slow curves is a particularly demanding situation where we need to improve but I'm counting a lot on the technical changes that Aprilia has prepared for this round. I hope that they will let us take another step forward. We'll be putting forth our best effort as always.”

5. THIRD ROUND IN ARGENTINA FOR MOTOGP

   Posted on 9:00pm Friday 17th Apr 2015

   Bautista and Melandri, even on dodgy asphalt, worked hard in free practice developing the RS-GP bikes
   
   Termas de Rio Hondo (Argentina), 17 April 2015 - Just a week after the American round in Austin, which brought Aprilia Racing Team Gresini their first point thanks to Alvaro Bautista's placing, MotoGP begins practice for the Argentinian GP. The first two sessions on the Termas de Rio Hondo track were conditioned by the condition of the tarmac. The quite dirty and not very rubberised surface create a particular tyre wear situation.
   
   Even in these conditions Bautista (11th in the morning and 22nd in the second session) and Melandri (19th in FP1 and 24th in FP2) moved forward working on the evolution of the RS-GP bikes. In particular Marco, who tested some brand new solutions on his bike, found a better riding feeling compared to all the previous outings.
   
   ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
   "After the first laps with the best performance tyre we are losing a lot of traction straight away. Alvaro could also have improved on his flying lap but clearly that cannot be our primary goal. We need to work on this tomorrow although a lot depended on the track which is really destroying the soft tyres quickly in these conditions. Even with the asphalt situation we had Marco made some encouraging progress in terms of his general riding feeling."
   
   FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
   "This track gave us these problems last year already. Until it gets rubberised it creates problems for the tyres in just a few laps. I think tomorrow things will change. We'll wait for the next sessions to see what the real values are on the track."
   
   ALVARO BAUTISTA
   "The track was very hungry today and it ate up all the tyres. Already from this morning we had to use two sets of tyres and in the afternoon I went out with a used tyre. By the end I really didn't have any rubber left to try and improve on my time. Tomorrow we'll have to work hard to improve our grip anyway. But I also think that a better asphalt grip situation will be a great help since such poor traction particularly penalises us."
   
   MARCO MELANDRI
   "For the first time I had a decent session. The team did a great job trying some different ideas and implementing some setups that we had never tried before, catering to my needs, and I found a bike that I was able to ride better. Naturally there is still a lot of work to do but it is an improvement. The track conditions will change gradually as it gets more rubberised, so we'll have to wait until tomorrow."