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MotoGP, Albesiano: "Stability, aerodynamics and an easy-to-ride bike to get to the top"

“The 2021 Aprilia RS-GP has undergone a radical evolution and never have we been able to develop it like this year. It would be good to have a satellite team but time is running out and we can't wait "

MotoGP: Albesiano: "Stability, aerodynamics and an easy-to-ride bike to get to the top"

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All the hopes of the Noale manufacturer to make a clean break from last year’s disappointments lie with the new RS-GP and the duo made up of Aleix Espargarò and Lorenzo Savadori.

In Noale they are well aware of this, also because from this year the Veneto-based team will be the only one able to enjoy the concessions provided for by the MotoGP regulations for manufacturers that do not have any wins and placements. And there is also the possibility of having more test days available to work on the project and development.

Romano Albesiano is therefore looking forward to putting the new bike on the track in the shakedown test on the Losail track.

"During the tests we saw that the bike was ready - said the engineer in charge of the project - in fact, at Jerez we had the opportunity to test various components and the sensations were positive from our riders. Obviously there is a very long development plan that will continue throughout the season, given the large amount of material that the team has at its disposal. "

We therefore wonder in what way the latest evolution bike from the Noale manufacturer has improved…

“It is difficult to say what the biggest change of the RS-GP ‘21 from the previous one is, as there is some new stuff that will have to be evaluated shortly. Obviously with the pandemic it was not easy, but we still worked to improve the bike in all its weak points. I think today the bike is more stable, it also has better aerodynamics and is easier to ride, thanks also to the revised frame ".

One of the aspects on which we pressed Albesiano is the rear of the new bike, which has a tail similar to that of the Ducati…

"We have also decided to intervene in this area with the aim of limiting the vibrations, which in recent years caused a bit of difficulty for us several times. The sensations are encouraging and now we will see the situation here in Losail ”.

However, the engineer has clear ideas about what to expect…

“With this Aprilia we wanted to close the gap to try to get closer to the fastest bikes. For sure this RS-GP ‘21 is better than the previous one and so we hope to be on the same level as our rivals. The goal, from a technical point of view, is to cancel the gap that has emerged in recent seasons and eliminate it on the track during the championship. It is obvious that there will be tracks where we will suffer, but at the same time there will also be tracks like Misano and Jerez where we can be strong ”.

At the moment, however, you are still missing a test rider…

“Rivola will talk about that. In any case, the riders have worked on the development as well as possible, testing a lot of things: we have a lot of material available, like never before. Obviously, development is frozen, but in terms of aerodynamics and chassis I think important steps forward have been made ”.

Aprilia has worked hard, but the other teams certainly haven’t been standing around idle....

"As I said, this could be the year we reach the other manufacturers: it is our goal. There will be pressure, but we are confident about the development path of the new bike ”.

You have placed your trust in the duo made up of Espargarò and Savadori, which at the end of last year took you in another direction…

“Lorenzo and Aleix have the qualities to show the potential of the bike. Espargarò is a rider we know well and at the same time he’s very fast. On the other hand, however, there is Savadori, a young rider. We, as Aprilia, believe in him and in his possibilities, despite it being his first full season in MotoGP ”.

One final comment about a satellite team with a view to 2022…

“Unfortunately, time passes by rapidly and does not work in our favour, as we don't have many months left to make a decision on the technical side. In fact, we cannot go too far and wait for June or September. For sure having four bikes on the track would be good because it would allow us to make a further comparison with more data ”.

 

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