Upgrades for Aprilia as MotoGP returns to Europe

Aprilia will have further upgrades to the new RS-GP machines of Stefan Bradl and Alvaro Bautista this weekend as MotoGP returns to Europe, with the pair hoping to continue a strong start to 2016 at Jerez.

Speaking ahead of the start of action on Friday, Aprilia racing manager Romano Albesiano says that the combination of three races of data and the move closer to their Italian home base means they’ve had the opportunity to upgrade.

“In the first three races of the season we were able to collect a lot of data that also highlight the areas where we need to improve the most right now. Building from there, we have laid out our development schedule for the European races, a programme that will begin already this weekend with the first, important steps in terms of the chassis, electronics and aerodynamics.

“Jerez is Alvaro’s home race and he did very well here last year, whereas Stefan is enjoying a good trend, as his recent results demonstrate. I expect that both of them, also considering the characteristics of the track, will be able to take another step forward in terms of performance”.

And while there’s still work to be done on the new machine that will be taken over in 2017 by Sam Lowes, team boss Fausto Gresini says that Jerez will be an important test for them.

“The results are positive, thanks to the efforts of the Aprilia technicians and the entire team. We are preparing for a long series of races in Europe, with the Jerez round representing an important test bench. When a bike works well on this track it is generally effective almost everywhere. So we are anxiously awaiting this GP, knowing we can count on upgrades that can help us make progress”.