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FIFTH AND SIXTH ROW FOR ALEIX AND MAVERICK IN PORTIMAO

6 November 2021

In spite of the positive signs Aleix demonstrated today, especially in FP4 in race configuration, Aprilia continues to have a complicated weekend here in Portimão. Adapting the RS-GP to the conditions of the Portuguese track is proving to be more difficult than expected, with particularly troublesome problems arising when the riders push hard for the flying lap. Despite a good time attack in qualifying (thrice under the 1’40 mark), he was unable to go through to Q2 and will start from the fourteenth spot on the grid tomorrow.

Maverick, also hindered by a technical problem in the morning during FP3, continues his quest for greater stability astride the new bike which, on the fast and hilly Portimão track, is still not giving him the best feeling. In qualifying, number twelve had to settle for the sixth row.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“If we look at the result, it may seem like a bad day, but there are actually many positive aspects that go beyond the qualifiers. Although we struggled this morning in the cold, with a few changes to the bike and the higher temperatures in FP4, we were able to achieve a good pace. This makes me optimistic for the race, as long as I have a good start and I’m able to be aggressive in the early stages. Unfortunately, throughout the weekend we’ve struggled to get the tyres up to temp and that makes the RS-GP unstable and leads to me making a lot of mistakes. But in terms of pace, being in the top 6-8 is a feasible result.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES
“It’s true that this weekend is not going as we’d hoped, but we must always keep our real goal in mind which, at this time, is not the result but rather the feeling. If we improve that, everything else will automatically fall into place. Evidently, this track amplifies our difficulties which maybe in Misano we were able to overcome with riding style. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. The warm-up session will be essential for finding something that lets us make a step forward in the race.”