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The Austrian GP was conditioned right from the start for the Aprilias of Bautista e Bradl.
Both penalised for a jump start, Alvaro and Stefan had to complete a ride through in the opening stages that compromised the race outcome. An incorrect indication on the dashboard of the RS-GP also caused the German to make another pitstop.
After what was seen in the warm-up and, particularly, the pace they showed after having received the penalty, the RS-GPs could have been able to score their best result of the season at the Red Bull Ring. In the end, Bautista, who lapped with consistent pace in line with the top ten, closed sixteenth, missing out on the points zone, while Bradl was even further back in nineteenth position. At the end of the race, Roberto Colaninno - President and CEO of the Piaggio Group - commented on the performance.
“Today Aprilia had everything needed to demonstrate the progress the RS-GP has made- said the President of the Piaggio Group - From the first race of the season, the new bike has gradually improved and we cannot accept the fact that human error – whether having to do with technical management or how the race is conducted – keeps us from demonstrating our true value and achieving the results that Aprilia and this bike deserve. The MotoGP calendar gives us the opportunity to redeem ourselves straight away with the Brno race. I have complete confidence in Romano Albesiano and in the new bike, but we need to roll up our sleeves and continue working every day in order to be prepared for the next race and to resume that growth trend that we had shown up to now.”
Harsh words with which the president issues a warning to the entire team that - we must remember- is gaining experience by racing, contrary to what Suzuki and KTM are doing.
“I am the first to be furious with the outcome of today's race - stated project manager Romano Albesiano - Even on a circuit that does not favour us, we had the best RS-GP of the season prepared, a bike that has shown tangible improvement, both in terms of the engine and race pace, and the times are indisputable proof of this. If he had not had any problems, Alvaro would have easily finished in the top ten. We cannot accept that, after all this work, our potential is squandered because our riders are distracted at the start and because of trivial mistakes on our part in managing the messages on the dashboard. As professionals like Alvaro and Stefan, I expect concentration and maximum commitment until the end of the year, but I want to call the entire team to put in extra effort that will lead us to working nonstop, even over the August holiday, in order to prepare for the race at Brno. We have a chance to redeem ourselves straight away and we absolutely cannot fall short of achieving the results that are within our potential.”
