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APRILIA WORKS ON TYRES AND RACE PREPARATION

17 July 2020

The first day of practice for MotoGP in Jerez turned out to be a rather similar situation to the tests, with the high temperatures dominating and all the riders busy preparing for a race that promises to be long and demanding. In fact, pace over the long distance, the resistance of the riders and bikes and the right tyre combination are the focus for every garage, including Aprilia’s, also busy “weaning” the totally revamped RS-GP.

This is a bike which both Aleix and Bradley confirm has great potential, not reflected in the combined standings today. In any case, the gaps are still very close. Aleix, sixteenth in the combined standings, is just 8 tenths behind, whereas Bradley finished the day 1.3 seconds from the leading time.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“This was not a simple day. I had a lot of chattering this morning and it’s the first time this has happened with the 2020 RS-GP. We analysed the causes and, thanks to a change we made, I was able to get the feeling back in FP2. I didn’t use too many new tyres, so I can say that, after turning a lot of laps, our pace is not at all bad. Tomorrow morning, I’ll need to take a few risks in the first session to get into the top 10. I think I’ll be able to do that and I hope to find the same sensations as I did this afternoon.”

BRADLEY SMITH
“This morning, we made a few obvious checks, but I am pleased with how the session went. I did my fast lap almost straight away. On the other hand, we struggled just a bit with the heat in the afternoon and we had to try the various combinations of the available tyre compounds. At the end of the day, I used the one that suited me best at the least ideal time and that had an impact on the final standings. In any case, the position does not reflect our potential and the feeling I have in the saddle. As a racer, everything is more frenetic than the tests and you have to take very quick decisions. I would have liked two 90-minute sessions!”