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Category: Moto GP
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The opening day of the #QatarGP turned out to be quite the unusual one, with the rain affecting the second session as well as the weekend schedule. The majority of MotoGP riders chose to move the decisive session to tomorrow, leaving today's final session as second free practice.
This decision was not agreed by Marc and Alex Marquez, who did well in both session. The #93, in particular, was fourth quickest in FP1 and then topped the timesheets in wet conditions. Alex, despite an ongoing issue that is yet to be solved, managed to stay in the top eleven (9th under the rain).
The key practice session for a direct seed to Q2 will take place tomorrow from 13:40 to 14:25, while the sprint race will get underway at 19:00 Doha time.
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4th - MARC MARQUEZ #93 (1’52.801s)
“First official day and it was important to start with a good feeling without ending up overdoing. It went well, despite the rain… it was a strange day without time attack which was moved to tomorrow. The goal was Q2 and we'll try tomorrow, but the feeling in both dry and wet conditions were good. On the dry there are 3 to 4 riders who are quicker than us, but we need to keep working and keep discovering the bike little by little.”
11th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (1’53.250s)
“The first day went quite well. This morning we worked on different settings to solve some issues we had in testing. It didn't go exactly how we wanted and the afternoon rain kind of “ruined” our plans. It was still important to ride in the house ain and we adapted well also in th e conditions. Tomorrow will be a stressful Saturday so we need to sleep well tonight.”
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Team Gresini MotoGP and Battipav shake hands once again and will be together in 2024 for a new journey, this time a bit more Spanish-flavoured given the arrival of Marc Marquez to pair up with confirmed brother Alex.
Present in all countries hosting the MotoGP World Championship, Battipav will make the most of activations and sponsorship synergies.
The Battipav brand will be visible on the Ducati machines as well as on the leathers of Marcand Alex Marquez, inside Gresini’s MotoGP pit-box and on the team trucks.
STEFANO TONDINI –BATTIPAV GENERAL MANAGER
“With the arrival of Marc Marquez, we couldn’t but renew the partnership with the Gresini family for 2024! The Ambassador project by Battipav is going from strenght to strenght, not only in Europe but also around the world: in the most part of this year’s 21 races, the Ambassadors of the Battipav brand will be able to live the #BattipavExperience as protagonists, this year more than ever with the winning duo of the Marquez brothers. Team Gresini and Battipav share core values such as family, passion and Made in Italy with the Red (with a light-blue livery) machine from Borgo Panigale, so we start this 2024 full throttle and together once again!”
CARLO MERLINI – GRESINI RACING COMMERCIAL AND MARKETING DIRECTOR
“We start a third year together with Battipav, a great international institution and Italian pride. We feel very close and in 2024 we’ll continue to work together with the same approach that has always characterised this partnership. A big thank you goes to Stefano and the whole Battipav family for the trust placed in our project, it’s going to be a very interesting season.”
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The second and final day of official testing at the Losail International Circuit is over, effectively wrapping up the preseason for the MotoGP class. The next outing will be for the 2024 Qatari Grand Prix, taking place at the same venue from the 7th to the 10th of March. Two days of intense practice for Alex and Marc Marquez with different goals, but all in all similar to those targeted in Malaysia two weeks ago.
The feeling with this track is clearly on the rise with regards to Alex Marquez who here, a few months ago, had struggled to find “the sweet spot”. The confidence with the front-end has improved, and with a more stable bike overall, the #73 managed to put together some consistent on-track work on the longer run. On a lesser note, he had a crash at turn 14 during day one, from which he escaped uninjured.
Despite some minor technical issues (he had to stop at turn 15 after only a lap), Marc Marquez continued his familiarisation with the Desmosedici GP23 also during the second day and the results were not slow in coming. He did well in the time attack (fourth quickest time) as well as on the longer run despite his first crash (at turn 4, without a scratch).
“I felt more comfortable with the bike straight away here, I managed to start using the body more and that’s already an improvement. Instincts are still set on another type of motorcycle, but we’re working on that department and changing my riding style. We did well in the time attack, even though it’s still most difficult area for me. We’re improved our pace on the longer run, we tried many things and push towards the limit – while also finding the first crash (turn four). Are we happy? Yes, even though we’re still far from Bagnaia, Bastianini and Martin.”
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13º - ALEX MARQUEZ #73
(Day1 best lap 1’52.556 – 53 laps)
(Day2 best lap 1’51.944 – 62 laps)
“Compared to November, the feeling has improved a lot; we had suffered a lot last year here. It must be said that the Losail track changes dramatically between one run and the other and it’s hard to have a smooth progression, but we’re getting there step by step. We’re preparing mostly for the race, so the single-lap performance is not as important. We tried many things even though yesterday’s crash cost us a rear tyre, and that affected our testing programme. We completed a 20-lap long run and we encountered some issues that we’ll need to analyse in the coming two weeks."
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THE BIG APRILIA FESTIVAL IS BACK PROTAGONISTS ON TRACK, THE FABULOUS RS-GP MACHINES OF THE MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE APRILIA RACING RIDERS: VIÑALES, ESPARGARÓ, SAVADORI, OLIVEIRA, AND FERNAÌNDEZ
JACOPO CERUTTI AND FRANCESCO MONTANARI WILL BE WITH THEM, DOMINATORS WITH THE APRILIA TUAREG IN THE AFRICA ECO RACE
MAX BIAGGI WILL LEAD THE TEAM OF GREAT CHAMPIONS WHO, IN THE EXTRAORDINARY ATMOSPHERE OF APRILIA ALL STARS, WILL CELEBRATE THE ITALIAN BRAND WITH THE MOST VICTORIES IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GP MOTORCYCLE RACING ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OF FANS
THERE WILL BE LOTS OF BIKES, TEST RIDES, EVENTS, ENTERTAINMENT, AND THE MUSIC OF RADIO DEEJAY FOR A FESTIVAL UNDER THE BANNER OF PASSION AND LOVE FOR MOTORSPORT
Noale, 19 February 2024 - The Aprilia All Stars event is back, the huge Aprilia festival that gives motorsport fans a unique day of incredible bikes and legendary champions.
Misano World Circuit, Saturday, 8 June is the date and place that fans will want to put on their calendars and not miss. A unique opportunity - entirely free - to see and enjoy firsthand the on-track performance of the magnificent Aprilia RS-GP machines participating in the MotoGP championship and meet the riders.
As always, the brightest stars will be the Aprilia Racing riders, Aleix Espargaró, Maverick Viñales, Lorenzo Savadori, Miguel Oliveira, and RauÌl FernaÌndez, MotoGP competitors. Champions who will be protagonists, not only on the track but, in true Aprilia All Stars tradition, they will also be among the fans in the paddock to celebrate Aprilia, the European brand with the most victories in World Championship GP Motorcycle Racing, with 297 GP triumphs. All the greats of Aprilia history will be with them, led by six-time world champion Max Biaggi.
Something new for this edition will be the participation of Jacopo Cerutti and Francesco Montanari, fresh from the triumphant début astride the Aprilia Tuareg in the Africa Eco Race. Cerutti, dominator of the African race, and Montanari will also meet their fans in the festive and informal atmosphere of Aprilia All Stars and they will be showing off the fabulous Aprilia Tuareg, dominator of the desert.
As always, Aprilia All Stars will be an all-around festival for fans and for the entire family. The paddock will be constantly buzzing with fabulous test rides where enthusiasts will be able to put the bikes from the Aprilia range through their paces on the Romagna roads, all free of charge, as well as the Racing Museum, with the racing bikes that built the legend of the Italian brand, a must-see for any enthusiast.
The music of Radio DeeJay will provide the soundtrack of an event which will be rich with initiatives, such as the “Aprilia vista dall’Oriente” exhibit, with the spectacular photos of Japanese photographer Aki Kusudo, a total immersion in the racing world that tells the story of Aprilia’s commitment in the MotoGP championship.
There will also be spaces for eSport, shopping dedicated to Aprilia Racing brand apparel and merchandising, food areas, and much more.
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THE RS-GP24 IS UNVEILED, THE ITALIAN BIKE FOR BATTLING AT THE TOP LEVELS OF MOTOGP
After its on-track début in the opening tests of Sepang, sporting the temporary but spectacular “full-black” livery, the time has come to present the Aprilia RS-GP24 in its official version. A project with a strong technical identity, proudly Italian and which has now reached full maturity.
After two seasons of constant growth, 2024 represents the year of confirmation for Aprilia. Technical evolution has taken bike and team to an unprecedented level and the racing department from Noale, under the leadership of Romano Albesiano, has taken on this challenge without betraying its DNA. In other words, in an innovative way, with choices that blazed the trail for others and which, in the latest evolution of the RS-GP, find an even more extreme application.
We are definitely talking about aerodynamics - the most visible part - but every detail has been redesigned and advanced. From the V4 engine to the chassis, from the electronics to the strategies, nothing was overlooked whilst still maintaining a clear connection with the already competitive 2023 base.
There will certainly be no lack of data to be analysed at the end of each session, given the fact that, in addition to the super-confirmed duo of Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales, Miguel Oliveira will be starting the new season on an RS-GP24. RauÌl FernaÌndez, the second Team Trackhouse standard bearer, will be using a 2023-spec bike which will then be upgraded to the most recent version.
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
"The growth we have demonstrated in recent seasons has been incredible. I am proud to be part of this project which I have always considered to be my second family. In 2024, we’ll make another step forward. Last year we were lacking the consistency to battle all the way to the end, but we still demonstrated that we are a tough rival for everyone. It won’t be simple because, even if it seemed impossible, the level in MotoGP has increased even more. I feel like I'm ready - physically and mentally - and I believe in the work that the Aprilia staff has carried out."
MAVERICK VIÑALES
"Our 2023 season ended on an upward trend and we want to continue that now. The feeling with the team is outstanding. During the winter break I trained like mad and I have faith in Aprilia Racing’s work. If we continue to set the goal of squeezing the most out of our technical package every weekend, the results will follow naturally. The first tests confirmed the extremely high level of the championship. Practically every rider and every bike on the grid have the potential to battle for the podium. This makes the challenge even more intriguing."
MASSIMO RIVOLA
"Over the last few years, Aprilia Racing has undertaken a constant growth process. First becoming a factory team, and then putting four bikes on the track thanks to the satellite team. In 2024, we’ll raise the bar even higher, since Miguel Oliveira will be starting the season on an RS-GP with the same specs as the factory bikes and Raùl will receive it subsequently. This is a significant effort for the racing department, but it is also a sign of this project’s evolution on all fronts. It has not been simple and the season promises to be even more demanding, but at the same time, I believe in the potential of our team. And I am proud of what we have demonstrated thus far, both from a technical point of view and in terms of dedication and commitment. We want to be protagonists in MotoGP and we have everything we need to be able to make that happen. We have four highly qualified riders like Aleix, Maverick, Miguel, and Raùl, a racing department that is courageous and capable of innovation, not to mention that pinch of Italian pride that never hurts in racing."
ROMANO ALBESIANO
"Our approach to the 2024 season could not stray from the good base that we had already built, especially over the last two seasons. The RS-GP is a mature project, faithful to the Aprilia philosophy, which we have sought to advance in every aspect. The aerodynamic study is perhaps the clearest. We introduced a few concepts that are definitely innovative in order to improve the load and penetration characteristics. But every detail has been revisited, as must be done in a championship which has placed technological research at unprecedented levels. Having three bikes with the same specs on track from the season start will undoubtedly contribute to streamlining our growth process. We’ll have much more information available that we will then need to skilfully analyse and interpret."
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