MAVERICK SECOND AND ALEIX THIRD ON THE FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE

STRAIGHT THROUGH TO Q2 AND GOOD SENSATIONS

There is a positive air in the Aprilia camp after the initial practice sessions on the Buriram circuit in Thailand. Maverick and Aleix were protagonists in both session, focusing their work on used tyres in preparation for tomorrow’s Sprint race and the GP on Sunday. The time attack in the afternoon then had them going easily straight through to Q2, with the second and third time respectively for Viñales and Espargaró.

With thirteen riders all within four tenths of one another, it promises to be a weekend where details, consistency, and precision will make the difference.

ALEIX
"I was surprised at our performance today, especially in some stages such as going into turns where we usually lose a few tenths. The track conditions are different than last year but we are also working a lot on the position in the saddle. The guys at Aprilia analyse the data and from their reports, it seems like that is an aspect we can work on to improve the RS-GP. I should point out that we are all extremely close, so we’ll need to be perfect to qualify well tomorrow."

MAVERICK
"On tracks like this one, being able to be precise is the secret to being fast. Today we managed and that is important. It means that we have learned from our experiences this season. As I always say, we need to build our performance day after day and always add another piece to the puzzle. It is only Friday, but I’ll do everything I can to stay out front tomorrow as well. We have a chance and we need to exploit it."