        Just ahead of the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini GP, the MotoGP title contenders have taken part in the traditional press conference. These riders include&nbsp;Aleix Espargar&ograve;, who is keen to get back on top after an Austrian round that proved more complicated than expected. Aleix: &ldquo;Misano suits my style. Team RNF? Important for Aprilia&rdquo;  &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to get out on track here at Misano and put Austria behind me. The Red Bull Ring has never been a good track for me and, despite giving it my all, I couldn&rsquo;t do more than sixth&rdquo;, admits the Spaniard. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re fighting for the championship, that kind of result is not enough. Misano suits my style and I&rsquo;m sure I can be back on the podium fighting with Fabio and Pecco&rdquo;. One of the most important announcements in recent days regards Aprilia, which has now announced the arrival of Fernandez and Oliveira in 2023 with the colours of team RNF: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s good news for me and Maverick, as having two such strong and talented guys on the satellite team will also help us with development. Raul and Miguel are two real talents and will definitely get on well with the RS-GP, with which they&rsquo;ll be able to score some good results&rdquo;. &ldquo;Dovizioso has been source of inspiration to me&rdquo;  Misano will also be the last GP for Andrea Dovizioso, a rider who has been a point of reference for Aleix: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry that Dovi is retiring, because he&rsquo;s been one of the strongest riders in recent years and one of very few who could beat Marquez. He&rsquo;s been a source of inspiration to me, because the journey I&rsquo;m on with Aprilia is not unlike what he was doing with Ducati until a couple of years ago.&rdquo; Marc Marquez&rsquo;s imminent return also came up in conversation: &ldquo;Over the next few days there&rsquo;ll be some testing at Misano. We&rsquo;ll have a lot of parts to try, but it will be interesting to see if Marc is on track too. He&rsquo;ll definitely be back soon and, once he returns, he&rsquo;ll be another rival for us all to beat&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Torres: &ldquo;We need to set an example: Aegerter should have had his licence suspended&rdquo;       

The Aprilia rider is ready for the San Marino round: &ldquo;Oliveira and Fernandez will get on well with the RS-GP. This track suits my style, I&rsquo;ll do better than I did in Austria&rdquo;

MotoGP, Aleix Espargaró: “Dovizioso inspired by journey with Aprilia”

        In the exact place where he suffered the lowest point of his career just twelve months prior, Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales experienced a rebirth, putting his problems behind him and embarking on a new chapter in MotoGP. In reaching the podium at Van Drenthe, the 27-year old Spaniard had a breakthrough, becoming (almost) one with his Aprilia. And that &lsquo;almost&rsquo; should worry his rivals, as the number 12 rider can grow further. And he will. Twelve months, a life that changes  It was late June 2021 and Maverick was wearing Yamaha colours. And they were tight on him, let&rsquo;s be honest. He did well to finish second on the podium at the end of a race won by Fabio Quartararo &ndash; his then team-mate no less &ndash; but something had been wrong for a while. Something big&hellip; Between the Sachsenring disaster and the &lsquo;DNF&rsquo; at the Red Bull Ring, his contract was rescinded with the subsequent legal and financial consequences. This didn&rsquo;t go down well with Yamaha bosses, as the contract was set to run until 2022. And that&rsquo;s why the Spaniard didn&rsquo;t race in Austria. The move to black  Maverick was black, or no, even worse&hellip; Maverick was grey, a colour that we can bet very few people like. Definitely not an &lsquo;all or nothing&rsquo; type like Vi&ntilde;ales, who found himself at a significant crossroads &ndash; should he stop racing altogether, or start over elsewhere, perhaps in a place where (mutual) trust could be felt in the garage? And so it was that he took part in a life-changing test, aboard the RS-GP bike at Misano. And the Spaniard clearly got on well with the Italian four-cylinder, as he immediately found himself competing in a race. As of Arag&oacute;n last year, a new MotoGP adventure began for &lsquo;Vinny&rsquo;, who continues to ride for the Noale factory team today. He was a rose ready to bloom. The Assen podium - new lifeblood for Mav  The third step of the rostrum is already impressive, if we&rsquo;re talking MotoGP. Let alone if it comes after a twelve month fast. And Mav did just this, rounding out the podium at Van Drenthe. In a race won by Pecco Bagnaia, and in which Marco Bezzecchi proved himself on the world stage, the Catalan rider found himself again. But he was never really lost. It was more a matter of environment. Without judging whether one team is better than another, as that&rsquo;s not up to us, Vi&ntilde;ales found what he was looking for with the Noale-based squad, or rather understanding, trust and respect. And the right bike. Aleix has Vinny, the others don&rsquo;t  Like when we were kids, playing with our models: I have this one, you don&rsquo;t. Exactly what Aprilia might say now, with Vi&ntilde;ales in its ranks. The black squad now knows that it can count on a &lsquo;second&rsquo; rider who is as quick as the first. Because Maverick will do it again, doing better than he did at Assen. You&rsquo;ll see. And who will benefit? He will of course, as much as Aleix Espargar&oacute;. The latter has a team-mate who is ready to offer a supportive shoulder. Who else can say the same? Quarta at Yamaha? No. Pecco in Ducati? Not always. Suzuki, KTM and Honda? Forget about it. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Aleix Espargar&oacute; from ugly duckling to frontrunner       

In reaching the podium at Assen, Maverick has had a breakthrough. It is he who will tip the balance in the fight for the title, Aprilia can benefit from him

Viñales, Aleix Espargaró’s extra weapon in the fight for the MotoGP title

        Five years ago, if someone has said that Aleix Espargar&oacute; would be consistently fighting for the title in 2022, how many of us would have believed it? Not many. And yet the Spaniard is doing exactly what he always dreamed of, battling for the top positions and, as he himself admits, he achieved his goal in the final race before the summer break - to reduce the gap to leader Quartararo. Tough years, spent further down the field  The eldest Espargar&oacute; was, for several years, an 'also ran&rsquo;, one of those competing in MotoGP but often placing in the bottom half of the standings. From 2010, his first full year in the top class, to 2020, his best result was a second-place finish in 2014 when he was riding an Open bike for the Forward team, after which he dropped back down the field again with Suzuki (2015-2016). Aprilia and Aleix Espargar&oacute;, dreaming big together  There was talent though, and Aprilia was able to spot this, signing him up for their new project. It took time and there were challenges before they began to find their way, but Espargar&oacute; has given it his all since 2017 and now, in their sixth season together, they&rsquo;re reaping exactly what both parties always dreamed of. The Dutch GP further proved the solidity of the pairing, the Spaniard immediately penalised by the mistake made by Fabio Quartararo but quick to make a spectacular recovery, climbing all the way back up the field from fifteenth to fourth. Will the dream become reality?  After recent debate concerning a supposed lack of overtaking in MotoGP, Aleix made up for it all in just one race, one that he could have won had he not been conditioned at the start (in his opinion). Considering the hard work he&rsquo;s done to get here, it is only right that we talk about this latest feat by Espargar&oacute;. And what about that double pass at the final corner, precise and perfect? This is his moment, the moment for him and for Aprilia, which also shines with Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales. They must continue to dream big, with the same commitment as ever, if they want to achieve the ultimate goal. Fabio Quartararo permitting. Translated by Heather Watson GP Assen, Valentino Rossi: &ldquo;Bagnaia and Bezzecchi, we&rsquo;re on top of the world&rdquo;       

In his twelfth season in the reigning class, the Spaniard is finally battling for the title with his Aprilia, after years of relative anonymity

MotoGP, Aleix Espargaró from ugly duckling to frontrunner

        2022 will go down as an historic year for Aprilia, the manufacturer having already scored its first win in MotoGP and now in pursuit of the world title. As it chases the ultimate dream, the Noale manufacturer is not standing idly by in terms of development, as proved during yesterday&rsquo;s test at Barcelona. Aprilia was probably the queen of the tests in terms of updates, with the appearance of some truly futuristic-looking aerodynamic components, which confirm Romano Albesiano&rsquo;s desire to forge ahead into what appears to be the new frontier of technical development in the reigning class. An innovative fairing, and that&rsquo;s not all  The most obvious new feature regards the fairing of the RS-GP, which looks to be something brand new. In recent times, we&rsquo;ve never seen a fairing with such an obvious step. There is a clear separation of the fairing into two areas. The aim is to clean lateral flows, separating them, and improving &ndash; in the upper section - the extraction capacity of the air vent to the benefit of cooling and top speed. In the lower section, which has a different shape, the threads better trace the imaginary line that runs from the disk covers and fork, reducing turbulence to a minimum and encouraging a clean flow. Still in the aerodynamics field, Aprilia has once again tested the rear winglet, positioned on the tail, already seen for a brief period over the Mugello race weekend &ndash; on Lorenzo Savadori&rsquo;s laboratory bike. The tail piece has also undergone modification, at least in its experimental version, becoming less sharp and more undulating, which again has to do with the air, in order to better close the slipstream and favour top speed. It&rsquo;s difficult to say whether all these solutions will be seen in upcoming races, but Aprilia has clearly shown great courage and innovation on the aerodynamics front, in line with rival Ducati. Translated by Heather Watson The Ecstar team "seeks work": negotiations with KTM for MotoGP 2023       

The aerodynamic work continues in Noale, with no part of the RS-GP left untouched, tail fairing included

MotoGP, Aprilia queen of testing: the new components seen at Barcelona

        Aerodynamics is a frontier that MotoGP continues to explore as it tirelessly pursues performance, and this time it is Aprilia that has taken everyone by surprise, introducing a new large rear wing. Aprilia at the cutting edge   The Noale manufacturer, that has proved to be the real revelation during this first part of the 2022 season, has not only introduced a new engine specification during the opening practice session of the Italian GP&hellip; Test rider Lorenzo Savadori, who is competing at Mugello as a wildcard, has also been riding with a large rear winglet, positioned above the tailpiece in &ldquo;F1-style&rdquo;, a new feature that may well be used by Aleix Espargar&oacute; and Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales in subsequent sessions. Experimentation that, according to Romano Albesiano and Massimo Rivola, has one precise goal &ndash; to generate greater rear load and prevent any wheel lift during the hard braking or through sections such as the fast downhill to the end of the start/finish straight, an increasingly critical point due to the speeds that a MotoGP bike now reaches, in excess of 350 Km/h. A trick that aims to improve the balance of the bike and that, if it produces the desired results, may also prove useful at other fast tracks.  The MotoGP precedent  Exploiting the rear of the bike aerodynamically is something that other manufacturers have tried in the past &ndash; in 2018 at Jerez for example, Ducati tested a &ldquo;duck's beak&rdquo; tailpiece that was subsequently shelved after the riders said it didn&rsquo;t bring the desired benefits. The video   I spy some new aero! @lorysava32 has an interesting winglet on the tail unit of his RS-GP! #MotoGP | #ItalianGP  pic.twitter.com/6dHuV5Ak0V &mdash; MotoGP&trade; (@MotoGP) May 27, 2022    Translated by Heather Watson Italian GP, Aprilia and RNF Racing: the satellite team deal is done       

The new aerodynamic device was used by Lorenzo Savadori during the first MotoGP practice at the Tuscan track

GP Mugello: Aprilia surprises everyone and introduces the big F1-style winglet

If you were wondering when and how Aprilia might field a second team equipped with RS-GP machines, then here&rsquo;s your answer. After confirming factory riders Espargar&oacute; and Vi&ntilde;ales just yesterday, Aprilia Racing now announces that it will join forces with the RNF Racing Team, for a collaboration that will begin in 2023. This means that Noale will finally have a real satellite team, with Razlan Razali thus leaving Yamaha.  The satisfaction of Massimo Rivola and Razlan Razali   The Aprilia Racing CEO is very pleased with this new collaboration: &quot;I am happy to announce the agreement with RNF Racing - comments Massimo Rivola - We have always reasoned in small steps and as we demonstrate the competitiveness of our RS-GP, a natural part of the journey is to see two more on track. The Noale racing department is a true heritage of knowledge, of technical culture applied to high performance motorbikes as well as sports management. With RNF Racing we find a partner to enhance and valorise this extraordinary heritage. We are thinking, of course, of the riders and the best competitiveness, but also of raising new generations of engineers, technicians and managers. To continue and improve the extraordinary, all-Italian tradition of Aprilia Racing.&rdquo;  RNF Racing manager Razlan Razali adds: &quot;We are absolutely thrilled for this long term partnership with Aprilia Racing. Our philosophy remains to work together with the factory team to develop riders that will one day become Aprilia factory riders. We will assist them in development to ensure that we continue to be competitive and ultimately win with Aprilia Racing. The proposal by Aprilia Racing fulfils our long term plans, strategies and security for the next two plus two years and I must thank Massimo for his trust, confidence and faith in us. We are absolutely looking forward to the season next year and this new partnership. At the same time, we want to express our gratitude to Yamaha for these past years working together and growing together. We will, though, maintain our focus on working hard this season in order to improve our results together with Yamaha and eventually conclude 2022 on a high note&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Espargar&oacute; renews with Aprilia: &ldquo;Doubts after Le Mans, now I&rsquo;m happy&rdquo; 

Razlan Razali&rsquo;s structure will move away from the Yamaha M1s and take delivery of two RS-GP bikes from Noale. Rivola: &quot;We have found a partner with which to grow and improve the extraordinary, all-Italian tradition of Aprilia Racing&quot;

Italian GP, Aprilia and RNF Racing: the satellite team deal is done

The news was already in the air and so comes as no surprise as it is confirmed - the Aprilia Racing team and Aleix Espargar&oacute; will continue to collaborate throughout the 2023 and 2024 MotoGP seasons.  In addition to the number 41 Catalan rider, another Catalonian in the shape of Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales will also remain aboard the RS-GP, having come to the team in the summer of 2021. The former Moto3 champ has also secured a two-year contract, just like Espargar&oacute;. The Noale squad thus sticks with what it knows.  Aprilia in MotoGP: stability means performance   Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola explains it well: &quot;Stability means performance&quot;. Basically, when the family is united, it takes continuous steps forward. And Technical Director Romano Albesiano is in agreement: &quot;We&rsquo;ll be able to guarantee development along well-defined paths, that will undoubtedly result in growth&quot;.  And what do the two riders think? They&rsquo;re very happy of course: &quot;I&rsquo;m pleased as I&rsquo;ve finally got what I wanted and dreamed of&quot;, comments Aleix. &quot;I&rsquo;m happy for me and for Aprilia, I want to prove that I deserve the trust that has been put in me once more after so many years together.&quot;  And Maverick? &quot;I am comfortable here, it&rsquo;s like a family&rdquo;, he says, &ldquo;Everyone&rsquo;s so kind and confirming our collaboration will give my career a real boost. The goal? Podiums and race wins, we&rsquo;ll work hard to get there soon&quot;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Marc Marquez admits: &ldquo;I admire Valentino Rossi&rdquo; 

The Noale manufacturer will again put their trust in Catalonian duo Aleix and Maverick in 2023 and 2024: &quot;Continuity equals performance&quot;

Italian GP, Aprilia renews with Espargar&oacute; and Vi&ntilde;ales for another two years

The French GP, which played out this weekend at Le Mans, once again smiled down on the Aprilia and Aleix Espargar&oacute;. The Spaniard powered the RS-GP to the podium in fact, after an impeccable race in which he was able to fend off attacks from the current world champion and local hero Fabio Quartararo.    &nbsp;  &ldquo;Aleix did very well and ran a clean race, despite battling with the rider who had all the local support&rdquo;, commented Massimo Rivola at the end of the weekend. &ldquo;His renewal is a priority and we have no tactics though despite the uncertainty, Espargar&oacute; is still very fast, so maybe we&rsquo;ll keep him in suspense until Christmas. Joking aside, his contract renewal won&rsquo;t be long in coming.&rdquo;  Rivola: &ldquo;Aleix and the Aprilia have grown together&rdquo;   &ldquo;Aleix&rsquo;s pathway has run parallel to the development of the Aprilia, of which he has been an integral part&rdquo;, continues Massimo. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s always been a fast rider, but never had the right bike with which to demonstrate that. Now that he does, he&rsquo;s fully demonstrating his skills and making us very happy in the process.&rdquo;  The one sore point of the weekend was, once again, Vi&ntilde;ales&rsquo; race start: &ldquo;Maverick is fast too, but he wasn&rsquo;t able to make a good start and found himself at the back of the group at the end of lap one and then had to catch up. If he were able to make better starts, we&rsquo;d have two riders capable of fighting at the front&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, regulation change: more engines for a 21-race season 

After another positive GP for Aprilia and Espargar&oacute; in France, Massimo clarifies the rider&rsquo;s future: &ldquo;The new contract won&rsquo;t be long in coming. Maverick is quick too, but he needs to get the starts right&rdquo;

MotoGP, Rivola: &ldquo;The delay with Aleix&rsquo;s renewal is not a strategy&rdquo;

The last MotoGP round at Jerez proved interesting, both technically and race-wise. While the sporting spotlight was firmly on the Bagnaia &ndash; Quartararo duel, the key technical theme was that of aerodynamics. An area of crucial importance in MotoGP, with ongoing improvements and changes but, as is so often the case, the coin has two sides. On the one hand, there&rsquo;s the riders&#39; point of view, that of Aleix Espargar&oacute; in this case who, in reflecting on what went on in Andalusia, remains somewhat disappointed about the time he wasted behind Marc Marquez and Jack Miller.  &ldquo;It&rsquo;s difficult to pass in MotoGP&rdquo;, explains Aleix, &ldquo;especially at a track like Jerez, where I really struggled to pass Marquez, despite having great pace. You really feel the aerodynamics we&rsquo;re using right now in terms of load, and when you&rsquo;re following another rider, the front tyre temperature and pressure go sky high&rdquo;.  On the other hand, there&rsquo;s the technical soul of the team, embodied by Aprilia Racing technical director Romano Albesiano, for whom aerodynamic development represents an exciting and stimulating challenge, and rightly so.  &ldquo;I think that aerodynamic development in MotoGP is only just beginning&rdquo;, confirms Albesiano, &ldquo;also because we&rsquo;re talking about a motion that we are still learning about. I couldn&rsquo;t say whether the aerodynamics might have negative effects on the spectacle that is the race, maybe yes, in that bikes without wings and a particular aerodynamics package may be better able to follow other bikes. In the recent past, there was an attempt to remove the wings, but then someone was able to get around that and use them anyway, which then saw everyone continue along that path. From a technical standpoint, it&rsquo;s a fascinating challenge, but probably less so when it comes to the show&rdquo;.  Albesiano: &quot;The next goal is to optimise every aspect of the bike&quot;   Romano continues, expanding on the concept of &ldquo;there&rsquo;s no stopping&rdquo; when it comes to technical developement.  &ldquo;Development in MotoGP never stops, despite the many rules regulating our field of action. In recent years, development has definitely focused on the aerodynamics. After all, making up one tenth of a second can make a real difference, in both qualifying and the race. So our next mission is to optimise everything, particularly the transmission, where we&rsquo;ll be trying something already during the next race. I think this is the final gap to close with respect to our rivals.&rdquo;  Of course, technical development goes hand in hand with the growth of the riders, and their symbiosis with the bike. Albesiano looks ahead here too, setting new goals in terms of Espargar&oacute; and Vinales&rsquo; growth path.  &ldquo;Telling a rider where he can improve is always difficult. As for Aleix, I think we can grow in terms of braking, seeing that our rivals are sometimes stronger, but it&rsquo;s an improvement to be made together. The same goes for Maverick, who we need to help make more effective - he&rsquo;s already shown to be quick, but we need to be consistent also when conditions are less than perfect, when there&rsquo;s less grip for example.&rdquo;  Translated by Heather Watson  Aleix Espargar&oacute; and Aprilia: close to signing for 2023 MotoGP 

Aprilia&rsquo;s technical director: &quot;There is still a lot to learn, it&rsquo;s a fascinating challenge from a technical standpoint&rdquo;

Albesiano: &ldquo;Aerodynamics in MotoGP? They may impact on the spectacle&rdquo;

        The first day of practice at Jerez didn&rsquo;t end as Aleix Espargar&oacute; hoped, but it is something else entirely that has annoyed him. During the day, the Spaniard crossed paths (against his will) with Marc Marquez, who was looking for a tow, something that doesn't sit well with Aleix. &ldquo;From the images, it&rsquo;s clear what happened. Marc has been doing the same thing for a year now, roaming the track waiting for other riders, and that&rsquo;s not normal. Today Pol came close to crashing - attacks Aleix &ndash; then Gardner, then Oliveira, then me. He waited for me for a minute, I saw him at the end of the straight when I was a kilometre away. Why does he do it? I don&rsquo;t understand but it&rsquo;s embarrassing, and he ruined my lap. The only explanation is that he&rsquo;s lacking confidence. In 2020 he was a second a lap faster than us, it was like he was racing against the Moto2 bikes. But now he needs an Aprilia to be able to make a fast lap on Friday? It really makes me angry&rdquo;. Let&rsquo;s talk about your day. How did it go? &ldquo;If you look at the timesheets, it wasn&rsquo;t a great day but that&rsquo;s not actually the case. Things went well both this morning and this afternoon, particularly with the race tyre, or the medium. Unfortunately, I had problems with the soft solution, so when making my time attack. First I came across traffic, then there was a little chattering at the rear, something that happened to me last year too&rdquo;. Espargar&oacute;: &ldquo;If I continue to do well, I&rsquo;ll have valid options for 2023"  So the problem is only the flying lap? &ldquo;Exactly, I set the same time with both the used medium and the new soft, while other riders lowered their times by half a second. Usually the best times come in FP3, so I&rsquo;m not worried&rdquo;. This is round six and Aprilia is always more or less up at the front. Can we say the bike is mature? &ldquo;We have a good base, so now we need to improve but without overdoing it. I get on well with this bike and am having fun, which is important&rdquo;. How willing are you to wait for a proposal from Aprilia? &ldquo;I&rsquo;m more relaxed than it might seem. I&rsquo;m experiencing the best moment of my career, and I&rsquo;m sure that if I continue to do well, I&rsquo;ll have valid options for the future. Let&rsquo;s say the longer we wait, the more things swing in my favour (he laughs)&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Marquez guides development, Espargar&oacute; on the sidelines: the Honda situation       

Aleix vitriolic: "In 2020, it was like he was racing against Moto2 bikes, and now he needs an Aprilia to make a fast lap?"

Espargaró furious: “Marc has been roaming the track for a year waiting for others”

        There are not two but three Aprilias in action at the Portugal MotoGP, with Lorenzo Savadori flanking factory riders Aleix Espargar&oacute; and Maverick Vinales. Aside from competing as a wildcard, what exactly is the Italian test rider doing at Portim&atilde;o? Exactly what his job title might suggest, considering that he is the test rider for the Noale manufacturer, a brand that is doing well in the reigning class. And the number 32 rider is doing equally well, because he knows just how to be fast when required, providing the technicians in the garage with useful feedback. The RS-GP is equipped with a new "device", or rather the rear lowering device, as hotly debated as it is complicated to perfect. As for the Italian four-cylinder, the system has been improved in its dynamic usage, when rider and vehicle are in motion. New engine for the Aprilia MotoGP: a step expected at Mugello  Beneath the fairings of Savadori&rsquo;s "black beast" is a revised electronic management system. Infinite refinements can be made in this area, and what better place to get them working than an official MotoGP race weekend? This is why Lorenzo is working hard to develop every part. Speaking of parts, the "new" engine will arrive in time for Mugello. At the Italian GP, the RS-GP bikes will be equipped with an engine that will benefit from a first important evolution. As well as seeking more horsepower, the racing department is also focusing on exploitability. Of increasing use to the wrist of the person riding the bike. Translated by Heather Watson Moto3, three bikes for team Aspar at the Portugal GP: here&rsquo;s who will ride them       

Lorenzo is using an RS-GP complete with revised dynamic rear lowering device, new electronic management features and other updates. An engine evolution is expected at Mugello

Three Aprilias at the Portgual GP: Savadori brings updates to the track

        The start of the 2022 season has brought a turnaround for two well-known faces in the MotoGP World Championship. The first is 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo, and the second is former Yamaha rider, Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales. The two former team-mates seem to be experiencing very different situations compared to last season. The Frenchman, so happy with the Iwata manufacturer last year, is now crying bitter tears, while the Spaniard appears much more serene after moving to the Noale manufacturer. Quartararo and a situation that needs to change as soon as possible  How much can the MotoGP World Championship change, from one year to the next? A great deal it seems. The start of the season is once again highlighting the unpredictability of the championship. While the end of the 2021 season saw Fabio Quartararo celebrating the world title with his M1, this year the Frenchman seems increasingly inclined to leave the blue team. Sure, he scored a good result in Indonesia, where he was able to finish second despite the rain. But this has been the only positive result in three races, in that he finished ninth in Qatar and eighth in Argentina. Not to mention the championship standings as, although we&rsquo;re still only at the start of the season and anything can happen, he lies fifth with 35 points to date. In recent years, with no one specific leader dominating all races from start to finish, one factor has become crucial, and that is that consistency pays off. And so if Fabio is unable to win the races, he will need to finish at least top five to be in with a chance of the title. Something that is not happening right now. Already during pre-season testing, Quartararo had expressed his dissatisfaction with the M1, the top speed of which is not in line with that of the competition, but now the waters in Iwata are increasingly muddy, with the French rider being courted by various other teams. After the Argentinian race, the rider himself commented: &ldquo;A change of team is something to consider. My future is not clear, so I need to think carefully and take my time&rdquo;. Vi&ntilde;ales has made the right choice  And talking about consistent results, who is leading the way in the championship standings? Aprilia rider Aleix Espargar&oacute; who, thanks to a win in Argentina and a fourth and ninth place in Qatar and Indonesia, can feel satisfied, particularly thanks to an RS-GP and a team that is finally up at the sharp end and fighting on equal terms with its rivals. And, like Aleix, Vi&ntilde;ales also has reason to celebrate, the door to happiness having once again opened after the difficulties and frustration with Yamaha, the split and his arrival at Aprilia. He is still adapting to a bike that is very different to the Yamaha of course, but Maverick is definitely not short on talent and can achieve anything he wants with the RS-GP. While last year saw him crying bitter tears, the rider feeling as if the team did not really value him, he has nothing to worry about with Aprilia. It looks as if he and Quartararo have essentially reversed roles, the Spaniard now happy after a very tough period, and the Frenchman currently dealing with a number of issues that clearly don&rsquo;t facilitate his work. Will he too need to leave Yamaha in order to be able to smile once more? Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP Americas, Official: Marquez will be there, Texas awaits       

The French Yamaha rider is unhappy, just as Vi&ntilde;ales was last year on the same team. The move to Aprilia has given the Spaniard his smile back, considering also the growth of the Noale team which culminated in a win at Argentina

MotoGP: Viñales-Quartararo role reversal - who’s smiling now?

        A new track, but the same desire to surprise. Aleix Espargar&oacute; wants to be back at the sharp end with the Aprilia at Mandalika, and the first day of practice has brought encouraging results. Beyond his seventh-place finish, the gaps are very tight, with Aleix just two tenths from third place. Today&rsquo;s results are not the only talking point though, with riders also commenting on the new track conditions. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve done a great job with the asphalt&rdquo;, notes Aleix, &ldquo;but the carcasses brought by Michelin are very different to those we used in testing, and they cause the bike to slide a lot, but I&rsquo;m pleased with the work we&rsquo;ve done anyway, we&rsquo;re already competitive&rdquo;. How do you see the playing field? &ldquo;The two Yamahas up front used two soft tyres, which definitely gave them an advantage, but they&rsquo;re not far from Zarco anyway, which is good. I don&rsquo;t yet have the sensations I had in Qatar, particularly in terms of rear grip, but I&rsquo;m on the right path&rdquo;.&nbsp; Aleix Espargar&oacute;: "I want to make the most of this opportunity"  How is the work going at Aprilia? &ldquo;Romano (Albesiano) and I are working hard to grow further. I&rsquo;ve got this opportunity to fight for something important, though it&rsquo;s come a little later now that I&rsquo;m 32, but I want to make the most of it&rdquo;. On Instagram, you promised to throw your helmet to the crowd if you reach one million followers. Are you there yet? &ldquo;It was incredible, as I got to one million a few hours later. I recently saw some pictures of Biaggi doing the same thing right here in Indonesia, so I&rsquo;ll do a Biaggi (he laughs)&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Vi&ntilde;ales&rsquo; problems at Aprilia? Bonora explains at the Indonesian GP       

The Spaniard has no shortage of fans: "I&rsquo;ve reached one million followers on Instagram, so I&rsquo;ll keep my promise. I&rsquo;m already competitive"

MotoGP, Aleix Espargaró: “I want to do a Biaggi in Indonesia”

It was a turbulent day at Mandalika today, as riders in the reigning class got a first taste of the Indonesian track. What did they find? Rain and mud, but this wasn&rsquo;t enough to discourage them as riders headed out to test both their prototypes and the track, considering this is everyone&rsquo;s first ever visit.  Vi&ntilde;ales: &ldquo;A really nice track&rdquo;   One man who did well on this first day of action was Aprilia rider Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales, who placed seventh on the timesheets with a best of 1:33.147, just +0.681 from first-placed rider, Pol Espargar&oacute;. The Spaniard offered some first impressions of this new track, which features on the MotoGP calendar for the first time this season: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really nice, and not so difficult. The layout&rsquo;s great&rdquo;. As for his work today: &ldquo;The bike&rsquo;s working well here, so I&rsquo;d say I&rsquo;m fairly pleased. I didn&rsquo;t push to the max but the lap time was nevertheless good, so I&rsquo;m feeling optimistic&rdquo;.  &ldquo;We need to keep calm&rdquo;   Maverick went on to explain more about the day&rsquo;s work: &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t test new parts but started with the base I&rsquo;d tested at Sepang. We needed to improve in a few areas there, and now here in different areas, but we don&rsquo;t have anything new to test anyway&rdquo;. &nbsp;The journalists are keen to know whether the track is similar to any other circuits? &ldquo;No, it doesn&rsquo;t resemble any other track&rdquo;, comments Vi&ntilde;ales, &ldquo;There are tight turns where you have to stop the bike, and others that are flowing. In this way, it stands out from other tracks and I have to say that I like it&rdquo;.  Considering both his form and his performance during the Sepang tests, might 2022 be Maverick&rsquo;s year? &ldquo;Well, we need to keep calm, to be honest. We need to keep calm because we&rsquo;ve only done one test so far, at Sepang, and now Mandalika where no one has ridden before. We&rsquo;ll need to wait and see in Qatar, where we&rsquo;ll find out exactly where are, and then from there we&rsquo;ll really start to work&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  Mandalika Test, Bagnaia: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not worried, i have great pace&rdquo; 

The Spaniard is pleased with the work done on day one and likes the new track, but prefers to wait until the next test sessions before making any predictions as to the 2022 season

MotoGP test, Vi&ntilde;ales: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see where we are with the Aprilia RS-GP in Qatar&rdquo;

        Aprilia has revealed its 2022 bike and heads into the new season with an awareness of just how hard it has worked over the winter to try and close the gap to the other manufacturers. The Noale bike has already demonstrated its growth during the Sepang tests, appearing fast and competitive in the hands of both Espargar&oacute; and Vi&ntilde;ales. This will be Aleix&rsquo;s sixth season aboard the Italian bike and his goals are understandably ambitious, also considering his first podium last season and the improvements seen towards the end of the year. Aleix Espargar&oacute; is ready for the season: "I feel good both physically and mentally&rdquo;  Now in his sixth season with Aprilia, the Spaniard is more motivated than ever as he prepares for a year in which he could well play a leading role: "I can&rsquo;t wait to be back with the team, I&rsquo;ve been at Aprilia for six years already and the guys not just my mechanics, but my second family. I&rsquo;m not 20 anymore but I&rsquo;m as pumped up and hungry as an 18-year old. I&rsquo;m in good shape both physically and mentally and I can&rsquo;t wait to start the championship". After presenting the bike, Espargar&oacute; revealed his favourite tracks: "The home rounds are always the most emotional, both in Spain for me and in Italy for Aprilia. I also really like the Malaysian event, but we couldn&rsquo;t go last year due to Covid. Hopefully we&rsquo;ll be back there this season because I really love the place". His team-mate will be Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales, a rider with whom he has a great relationship: "I don&rsquo;t need to give Maverick any advice, he&rsquo;s a very fast rider and despite his young age, he&rsquo;s already very experienced. The only thing I would say is that he needs to believe in the Aprilia project, it&rsquo;s important we all move in the same direction&rdquo;. Lastly, Aleix considers the modern MotoGP bikes, which are increasingly technological: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t miss the bikes of the past, of course the two-strokes were amazing, but that was then. Today&rsquo;s MotoGP bikes are incredible in terms of how technological they are and it&rsquo;s great to part of all that." Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Savadori: &ldquo;I won&rsquo;t just be a test rider&rdquo;       

The Italian manufacturer unveils its new bike and the Spaniard prepares for his sixth season aboard the Aprilia, with &ldquo;the same hunger as an 18-year old rider&rdquo;

Aleix Espargaró: “I don’t look to the past, today’s MotoGP is incredible”

Among the many subjects up for discussion post-Misano is the solid performance put in by Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales. After sitting out the Austin round following the death of his cousin Dean Berta, the Spaniard was back on track and finished the Emilia-Romagna race in the top ten, scoring a precious eighth-place finish.  Vi&ntilde;ales: &ldquo;The setting was a gamble, but it paid off&rdquo;   A result that takes on even greater important considering the gap between him and Aleix Espargar&oacute;, sixth across the line but only one tenth ahead of Maverick. Results that spur Vi&ntilde;ales on, eighteenth in his debut race with the RS-GP at Aragon and thirteenth in Misano 1.  Last Sunday&rsquo;s result comes down to skillful work in the garage: &quot;I&rsquo;m pleased because before the race we made a big change to the bike&rsquo;s balance, it was a risk, but our aim is to try and get to know this bike increasingly well&rdquo;, explained Top Gun at the end of the race. &ldquo;And it really worked. I had a good rhythm right from the early stages. Having to catch up from a less than brilliant starting position prevented me from fighting for an even stronger result. I&rsquo;m very confident after what we&rsquo;ve seen here, step by step we&rsquo;re amalgamating the rider-team-bike package and this is fundamental&quot;.  &ldquo;We&rsquo;re starting to be competitive, particularly mid-race, and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re looking for right now. I want to thank the team for all their work&rdquo;.  The numbers     And Vi&ntilde;ales&rsquo; words are backed up by the numbers&hellip; From lap 18 to 27, the Spaniard ducked below 1&rsquo;33 four times, setting his fastest time (1&#39;32.533) on lap 20. This time was the fourth fastest overall, behind those of Bagnaia, Bastianini and Marquez. A rhythm that allowed Maverick, who started with a medium front tyre and a soft rear, to make up eleven positions. He started from nineteenth on the grid, but a better qualifying session would have clearly allowed him to aim for something more than just a top-ten finish.  The synergy of the bike-rider-tyre package, skilfully developed in the Noale garage, is starting to come. Confirming what we&rsquo;ve seen on the Riviera at both Portim&atilde;o and Valencia will be key as the team looks to 2022, a season that could prove very promising for the Vi&ntilde;ales-Aprilia pairing if they can find the right consistency.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP 2022, Quartararo will not use the 1: &ldquo;20 my only number&rdquo; 

The Spaniard finished the Emilia-Romagna GP in eighth place, demonstrating good pace in the final stages: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re competitive&rdquo;, he comments. And the figures back this up

MotoGP: Vi&ntilde;ales-Aprilia, a pairing that&rsquo;s beginning to work

        There&rsquo;s no denying that all the attention is on Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales and the bike he&rsquo;s been riding in MotoGP free practice at Arag&oacute;n. Having parted ways with Yamaha, the Spaniard has found a new professional challenge in Aprilia and is competing with the bike for the first time at Motorland. Here&rsquo;s what he had to say after having placed nineteenth today: "I&rsquo;d say it&rsquo;s gone quite well, though it was difficult to lap with the same speed through every sector of the track. I messed up my time attack attempt but I - we - can do well. We saw interesting progress between the first and second sessions". Aleix Espargar&oacute; believes that "Top Gun" has worked well, on a track with little grip: "Sure, grip counts for a lot, but I&rsquo;ve been taking things more calmly here", he says, comparing today's approach to the recent Misano test. "It was easy to make mistakes and just as hard to improve the lap times. In testing, I did ten laps, put in fresh tyres, and did another ten. But today I improved after putting in two fresh tyres". Goals? None, only to learn  What&rsquo;s Maverick&rsquo;s pace like? He has an ideal time in mind: "Around 1.48, I think that&rsquo;s my race pace&rdquo;. And how does the Aprilia differ to the Yamaha? "I have to get used to the requirements of the RS-GP in braking, very different to those of the M1. The braking is so different, you can push harder on the lever, and I have to get used to that. Where you let the bike run, I&rsquo;m fast, but I need to improve my braking". And what are Vinny&rsquo;s goals for the Motorland weekend: "I have no aims, I just want to learn as much as possible and gain experience in the saddle. But if I continue like this, I can do well on Sunday". Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Vi&ntilde;ales and Aprilia together at last. What to expect?       

Maverick is making his debut with Aprilia: "I&rsquo;m not aiming for anything this weekend, only to build experience aboard the RS-GP, so different to the Yamaha in braking"

MotoGP Aragón, Viñales: “With respect to the Misano test, I'm calmer”

        Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales arriving in an Aprilia shirt was the strangest sight at Arag&oacute;n on Thursday. And during the press conference, it was the Spaniard who monopolised the attention of the journalists - how is he getting on with the RS-GP, what are his expectations, and more besides. Here are Maverick&rsquo;s answers. Vi&ntilde;ales: &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to race&rdquo;  &ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited and highly motivated&rdquo;, starts the Spaniard, &ldquo;hungry too. There are six races left to go and this will be a way for me to prepare for next season. I have a lot to learn, and quickly. I&rsquo;ve been away for a while and now I&rsquo;m happy to be back and on the Aprilia, I feel in shape&rdquo;. &ldquo;This decision came as a relief&rdquo;  And what does he have to say about the RS-GP after an initial two-day test at Misano: &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t yet had time to draw comparisons or really adapt well to the bike. I made as many laps as possible to understand how the RS-GP behaves&rdquo;. Between leaving Yamaha and coming to Aprilia, how difficult has this period been, mentally-speaking? &ldquo;I can say that this decision has come as a relief, I was stuck and needed to move forward and improve. This was the right opportunity, they asked me to complete a test and I got on well. Right now, it&rsquo;s important to build experience and adapt as well as possible to the bike&rdquo;. &ldquo;Important to have Espargar&oacute; beside me&rdquo;  Both Aleix Espargar&oacute; and Vi&ntilde;ales have never hidden the fact they are friends, despite previously racing for two different manufacturers, so how important has Aleix been in terms of Maverick&rsquo;s final decision? &ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t need to convince me, but I trust him and he knows the bike so it&rsquo;s been important to have him here with me. Rather than convincing me, we&rsquo;ve talked about what we can do together&rdquo;. Lastly, with regard to the Yamaha split: &ldquo;Things moved very quickly, but I don&rsquo;t want to talk about them, I&rsquo;m here to improve with Aprilia, the tests went well and I can&rsquo;t wait to race at Aragon. I&rsquo;m excited and can&rsquo;t wait to get out for practice tomorrow&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Moto2 GP Aragon, Fern&aacute;ndez injures his right hand       

The Spaniard cannot wait to begin his first race weekend aboard the RS-GP: &ldquo;This decision came as a relief for me, I was stuck and needed to move forward&rdquo;

MotoGP Aragon, Viñales: “I’ll be out on track to prepare for 2022”

        After its historic podium at Silverstone, Aprilia comes to Arag&oacute;n on the wings of excitement and now the Noale team wants to consolidate the progress shown by the RS-GP at a track that has often showcased the talents of Aleix Espargar&oacute;. Espargar&oacute;: "I adore this track"  "I really like the Arag&oacute;n track, I always get on well regardless of the conditions&rdquo;, admits the Spaniard. &ldquo;This year we head there with a particular spirit, that's for sure, after such an important result and with high expectations&rdquo;. But #41 is keeping his guard up: &ldquo;We need to stay focused and continue to work race by race. We know we can fight for the top positions, the Silverstone podium has simply confirmed this.&rdquo; Vi&ntilde;ales: "An important opportunity"  While Espargar&oacute; is key to the Noale project, all eyes will be on this weekend&rsquo;s &lsquo;new-entry&rsquo;, or rather Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales. The former Yamaha rider has left his problems behind and has already proved competitive aboard the Aprilia during a first test at Misano. "I can&rsquo;t wait to be back on track. The chance to get straight out there is important, particularly in terms of preparing for the 2022 season&rdquo;, comments Maverick. He knows this debut appearance won&rsquo;t be easy, but what matters is clocking up the miles ahead of next season: &ldquo;I might not be 100% ready, after just two days of testing, but riding with the others and competing against Aleix, who is doing great things, will help me to improve my feeling with RS-GP&rdquo;. Vi&ntilde;ales is clearly excited: &ldquo;The Aprilia guys are motivated, I can sense the enthusiasm and desire to grow, and that spurs me on to get straight out there". Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Vi&ntilde;ales and Aprilia together at last. What to expect?       

His Yamaha experience forgotten, the Spaniard prepares for his debut race aboard the Italian bike. He will be flanked by Aleix Espargar&oacute;, the third-place finisher at the British GP

MotoGP, Viñales: “I won’t be in top shape at Aragón, but I can’t wait”

        The Arag&oacute;n track will be the stage on which Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales and Aprilia make their debut appearance in a race, and there is inevitably a great deal of interest. The only test they have completed together to date proved extremely positive and after just a day&rsquo;s work, it was immediately announced that the Spaniard will compete in the last six championship races wearing Aprilia colours. This all comes at what is an extremely positive moment for Aprilia, which has scored its first MotoGP podium with Aleix Espargar&oacute;, and on the wave of: &ldquo;This is just the beginning&rdquo;.&nbsp; Will he be immediately fast?  The Spaniard was extremely enthusiastic in the garage at Misano, his joy palpable. And now things start to get serious. So what can we expect from this new pairing? The RS-GP is clearly competitive, as proved by Aleix Espargar&oacute; at Silverstone, but Vi&ntilde;ales still has a lot to discover, study, learn and improve. While the Spaniard is in his fifth season with Aprilia, the 26-year old&rsquo;s journey starts now, but he has everything he needs and the aim is start out on the right foot. Will he succeed? Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP: track training for Iannone with the Aprilia RSV4       

The Spaniard will compete in his first GP with the Noale manufacturer, riding the RS-GP after an initial test that went according to plan

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