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Without a shadow of a doubt, the recent round at MotorLand was the most complicated of the season for the official Aprilia team, so much so that Vinales did not even feel like completing the GP, returning to the box after just a dozen laps. On a decidedly friendlier track like Misano, the former Yamaha and teammate Espargaro are clearly aiming to make amends.
"It should be better here in terms of grip, we will see if it will be enough to fight for the podium. I talked to the engineers after Aragon and it turned out that we are not able to get the tires warmed up and thus generate grip, but it remains to be seen why. Although I will not stay with the team,I would like to have an explanation since we are going to race in Indonesia and Thailand where we will find dirty circuits," said Aleix showing a proactive attitude.
Also interesting was his comment on the keyboard warriors/virtual insult hooligans who came out all guns blazing after the incident between Bagnaia and Alex Marquez: "Fortunately we are not like soccer, however, dealing with social media, pressure and criticism is part of our job."
More related to the news is the analysis of Maverick who was still bitter about his forced withdrawal in Spain."I always aim to cross the finish line because you never know what can happen, but that was a strange race where both tires didn't work ," he said, "Overall it was a difficult weekend and it was important to come to a conclusion, which is that we have never but been so short of grip, so it will be necessary to figure out how to solve that so that we don't find ourselves in a situation like that again. However, it is crucial to put the difficulties behind us and face the new weekend with enthusiasm and motivation."
At Aragon Aprilia seems to have struggled a lot, even more than KTM. "We are in no better or worse shape than the others. For some reason the window in which our bike works well is very narrow," he explained, "Honestly in the last round, after free practice, it was sure that I would fight for the top positions, however, then the rain changed the situation and I started to lap four seconds slower than my Friday time. There was something wrong and it was the level of grip . In some corners I couldn't even lean. I remain convinced that it was a circumscribed problem because at all the other tracks we were Ducati's main rivals."
In spite of the critical issues the fighting spirit is a must. "We'll try again and Misano is a good circuit for us and for me. Of course it won't be easy since the Desmosedicis have put in a lot of kilometers here, however I personally feel ready and I want to break the recent trend that has seen us struggle. That is why I have asked the team to give it their all and put the bike in the best condition," he reiterated.
About Monday's test and possible aerodynamics-related changes, he said, "I don't know what the program is, I know there are things to try. I would like to test a different package to understand, for example, the reaction of the bike in corners or in terms of power by lightening the wheelie, rather than changing some elements of the braking. Analyzing these aspects during the weekend is complicated, so the test will be useful to prepare for the next race from the point of view of aerodynamics, also I would like to dwell more on the electronics and make sure to bring out the best."
From this point of view, the remaining events propose several questions: "The one in Japan is a stop-and-go track, so there will be work to be done on braking and engine braking, in Australia, on the other hand, aerodynamics are unimportant, but it is crucial that the bike turns well, consequently there will be a lot to do."
Although together with Oliveira he is acting as a test rider, the 29-year-old revealed, "The team relies a lot on my opinion, but right now I prefer to establish a fixed base and get the most out of what I have. Even though I won't be here in 2025 I want to give my opinion."
