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In Jerez there are tests taking place, but there is also a lot of talk about the rider market. Chaz Davies has ended up in Aprilia's sights and it is reported that there will be a two-way battle with Di Giannantonio for the RS-GP seat. We have been reporting about these negotiations today and at the same time we consulted Alvaro Bautista, who has considerable experience in the MotoGP World Championship.
"What do I think of Davies in Aprilia MotoGP? It's hard to say, he has to try - he replied - but to see from his style, I think something has to change, given that MotoGP has to be ridden differently because of the tyres and the bike. You can't be as aggressive as when you ride a Superbike - he added - even if a rider tends to change if he can't be strong. But I'm happy if he can find a bike for 2021, given his fantastic second half of the season in Superbike "
Attention then turned to testing.
After an uphill season because of the young project and bike, but a good improvement at the end of the year, Alvaro Bautista and the Honda HRC are ready for 2021 which more or less started today in private tests at Jerez. Alvaro finished his day in 6th place and with 72 laps to his credit. What was on the schedule?
"Today, together with the team, we were able to that we had already tried during the season. Here in Jerez we had the opportunity to work on it better and understand if the path we took was the right one. During the race weekend it is always difficult to test and today we also collected data for next season ”.
Going back to 2020, is it correct to say that Honda was the team most penalized by the pandemic? Stopping tests affected the progression you could have had during the season. You told us several times about how the free practice sessions were used by the team as tests.
“Yes, Covid penalized us because our project was completely new and we needed more time on the track. We still have to put the package in place because I think we are out in some areas but the important thing is that the bike is good ”.
On this matter, we learnt that Domenique Aegerter, Honda SBK test rider, practically did not ride due to the restrictions and next year he will in all probability be in Ten Kate. How important is it to have a test team in this category?
“A test team is very important when you have a new bike and need to prepare a base. And it was last year's problem. The bike arrived late, as usual, and we had to put everything in the right place. In this category a test team is not as important as in MotoGP where you can change everything except the engine. It would have been important to have a working test team in 2020 ”.
When will the most important new features arrive for the new season?
“I don't know when we will have new chassis details available, I hope already from the first test next year”.
