After the summer break Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Vinales seem to have shifted into higher gear in the MotoGP championship. The veteran has collected two victories, a podium for his teammate, but it will be difficult to aim for the world title against the Ducatis who have been writing important pages of history for about two years now. At the Misano test on 11 September, the Noale manufacturer brought a new engine specification for next year and a new chassis, demonstrating that the engineers are already partly focused on the RS-GP23.
Engine, chassis, electronics of the RS-GP
The Venetian brand knows it can raise its voice in the premier class, the only major obstacle is represented by its cousins Ducati. Step by step we try to make the bike grow, especially during the riding phase. “Our goal with this version of the chassis is to give the rider more safety when cornering“, explained Paolo Bonora, Aprilia Race Manager, in an interview with Speedweek.com. The new engine should guarantee more top speed and more torque at low speeds. “All drivers always want better performance“.
Aprilia top management knows they must also optimize the braking phase and performance on wet surfaces. There are some very clear weak points, although it takes time to set up the right solutions. In case of rain we will need to work on the setting and electronics of the RS-GP, with a large margin for improvement still available. “At Las Termas we were not quick enough to adapt the set-up ideally to the changing weather conditions. I suspect that our current bike could be competitive even in the wet. We need to become more consistent and improve as a team when the weather changes“.
The Aprilia seeks poor grip
At Aprilia they have clear ideas about which problems to solve and how. “When it comes to chassis, our main goal is to make the bike more stable during the braking phase. We also want to achieve better maneuverability when changing direction”, added Bonora. The RS-GP encountered many problems on a track with a lot of grip like Misano. Only a week earlier Aleix Espargaró had achieved a double victory in Catalunya, a track with poor grip. “Misano is a test track for us. But we haven’t yet found a solution to take advantage of this extra grip. We performed well as soon as the grip of the tires decreased a little, that is, from the middle of the race until the end“.
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