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Friday in Jerez also marked Aleix Espargarò's return to MotoGP, albeit in a very different guise. From Aprilia black, the Spaniard switched to the blue and red of Honda as a test rider for the Japanese manufacturer. A wild card whose objectives seem to be well outlined on the eve of Monday's testing: to get more power and put an end to the annoying vibrations experienced by the riders. While waiting for the solutions to arrive, however, Aleix outlines the steps forward made in recent months by the Japanese manufacturer, also counting on his past experience in Aprilia: first and foremost, drivability, a theme also stressed by Zarco whose competitiveness is a testament to the progress made so far.
"I'm still adapting my brain to the new type of work," Aleix joked, "because when I stop in the box I'm still looking at the first positions, the last stages of free practice were stressful. I'm still trying to push thinking I have to take the bike to the top, while now the goal is different even though I'm still trying to be competitive. I couldn't expect more, I've only ridden the bike once in the last three months in Valencia, I certainly wasn't aiming for the podium," he joked again.
The Spaniard then went on to evaluate his Friday free practice.
"Overall I am satisfied, although in the last minutes of pre-qualifying when I put on the softs everything was too fast for me. I also had a lot of vibration on the bike that I hadn't experienced in the past tests, so now we have to figure out how to deal with this obstacle before thinking about a possible solution."
Having a different bike from the other Hondas, have you had a chance to make comparisons yet?
"The bike is not completely different, I used a different engine today and we are facing different problems together. Compared to the tests at the beginning of the season we have made many steps forward and now the bike has a very good balance, the weight has decreased compared to the past seasons, the bike in this respect is competitive compared to rival manufacturers. However, two big problems remain: First, we have to improve in terms of power, and this is why I have a different engine, to try to get more torque. In that respect, the result so far has not lived up to our expectations, although maybe I'm partly to blame because I think I didn't brake at the limit because the speed sensor is very close to the corner, I wasn't braking at the level of Mir and Zarco. In Japan, on the other hand, the numbers on the engine were promising. The second problem is the vibrations that all the riders suffer from, now I can say I experienced it myself on the track and it's another aspect we have to improve on. It's something that needs to be solved, because when I was on the Aprilia I didn't have this problem, whereas now the Honda riders will have to race in these conditions. I hope to be able to find a solution tomorrow, and to do that I will study their data."
In the past, Honda riders have often complained about fatigue riding the Honda.
"That is no longer the case, the Aprilia last year was a much more physical bike, although it must be said that it also had more torque. I think the Aprilia was stiffer than the current Honda, so it's not as physical to ride anymore. For me it was because I lost muscle mass on my arms these last five months, and after the first few laps this morning my arms were destroyed."
Ph@Pierluca Brunetti
