Espargaro: New Aprilia MotoGP bike “different” to ride
Aleix Espargaro says the 2021 Aprilia RS-GP doesn’t look like a revolution but feels “quite different” to ride after topping the first day of the Qatar MotoGP pre-season test.
Aprilia and KTM are the only manufacturer’s allowed to start 2021 with totally new motorcycles, with the former unveiling its redesigned RS-GP on Thursday.
Espargaro and team-mate Lorenzo Savadori have already been testing the bike since last November, with Espargaro completing a further 57 laps on Saturday in Qatar on his way to the top of the timesheets with a 1m54.687s.
When asked by Motorsport.com to compare the 2020 and 2021 versions of the RS-GP, Espargaro explained: “Yes, the bike doesn’t look like a revolution but to ride it is quite different.
“Especially regarding the stability, we made a big step forward as the bike is a lot more stable and also the aerodynamic side they did a big, big job. The bike is completely different. In acceleration I feel that we made one improvement and the bike has a lot more downforce, so the bike is really physical, more than last season’s bike.
“It is more stable so that allows me to accelerate better which is more than welcome. We are paying a little bit on the top speed, so we still have to find the balance and we still have to understand the bike to see the strong points and the weak points.
“But the bike likes me quite a lot. It means we did a great job, as when we had one of the slowest bikes [on the straight] but we are P1 with a very, very fast lap time on the first day. So, now we have to understand how we can improve and find a good balance.”
Aprilia’s top speed deficit was eye-opening on Saturday, with Espargaro 15km/h slower through the speed trap than the fastest Ducati of Jack Miller.
Admitting the current Aprilia is slower on a straight than the 2020 bike, Espargaro feels the deficit is exacerbated somewhat by the bike’s aerodynamics – which is a trade-off all manufacturers have to consider in modern MotoGP now.
“Sometimes it’s not just the engine, it’s a little bit complicated by the new MotoGP era from four or five years ago with the aerodynamics,” he added. “Everything became more difficult. I have to say I’m accelerating better than ever, but the top speed clearly we have to improve.
“It’s very, very low. It’s lower than our top speed from last season, and we are losing 15km/h to the Ducati, so there is room to improve there. But as I say, the aerodynamics allow you to turn better or not, to accelerate more or less, and to make more or less top speed.
“So now we have to find the balance. Today I tried two different aerodynamic packages and we still have to understand, but obviously I would like to have better top speed.”
Related video
Previous article
Aleix Espargaro tops first MotoGP test in Qatar for Aprilia
Next article
Rossi: First Petronas SRT MotoGP laps felt “strange”
Why Yamaha is about to risk losing Valentino Rossi
With Valentino Rossi’s next career move imminent in MotoGP, it is set to have wide-reaching influences on a number of riders and teams on the grid. But one of the biggest impacts will be felt at Yamaha, with its pivotal role in the saga set to see it lose its appointment with ‘The Doctor’
How Marquez beat his Honda in his heroic MotoGP comeback win
Marc Marquez has been through hell and back in the 581 days between his win in the 2019 Valencia season finale and his heroic MotoGP comeback victory in Germany last Sunday. Despite battling physical limitations and a difficult 2021-spec Honda, the Sachsenring provided the perfect storm for the Spaniard to return to the top step
Why Quartararo’s suit penalty highlights a wider issue in MotoGP
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo racing with his leather suit open and subsequent penalty has been the main talking point of the Catalunya MotoGP weekend, which has highlighted a wider issue with MotoGP’s stewarding that risks a negative precedent going forward.
How MotoGP’s “beast” tamers bounced back at Catalunya
The expectation on KTM to replicate its winning form from 2020 this season made its difficult start to the new MotoGP campaign even more disappointing. But a key update has seen KTM's fortunes reversed over the last week and returned it to the top step of the podium in Barcelona
The signs that point to Rossi's MotoGP retirement
It's not been a happy start to 2021 for Valentino Rossi at the Petronas SRT satellite squad, with performances that are a shadow of the rider that utterly dominated MotoGP at the start of the new millennium. At the age of 42, how much longer can he go on?
Why the most significant Le Mans MotoGP performance wasn't Miller's
Hot on the heels of his first MotoGP win in five years, Jack Miller made it two from two with a commanding French Grand Prix victory at Le Mans despite two long-lap penalties. Impressive though it was, it was an expectation-defying performance from an anticipated title rival that was the real standout.
The impossible problem Honda faces with its 2021 MotoGP bike
Honda hasn’t enjoyed an easy start to the 2021 MotoGP campaign, despite gains last season which looked to have carried over into the pre-season. Now admitting it does have issues in serious need of resolving, it faces an almost impossible task in doing so.
How Jerez underlined MotoGP's speed problem
The brutal nature of a series of crashes at Jerez has reopened the debate about whether current MotoGP speeds are beyond the safety limits of the tracks. But even if riders are supportive of the move, getting the manufacturers to find a consensus on how speed reductions should be achieved may be altogether harder
