MotoGP: Engine upgrades for Aprilia in Austria

The Aprilia RS-GP machines of Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl will have an improved engine specification for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, as well as an improved aerodynamic package to cope with the unique nature of the Red Bull Ring.

Aprilia racing manager Romano Albesiano says that the upgrades, part of the continuing evolution of the bike, will mean that they’re hoping to be competitive despite the unique nature of the new circuit.

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“We are taking on a decidedly particular track, where the stop-and-go concept is taken to an extreme. The braking and acceleration performance of the bike is therefore crucial, which is why we will be taking a better engine configuration to Austria, as well as an aerodynamic package aimed at reducing aerodynamic drag.

“Precisely because of the characteristics of the track, we will be using settings that are abnormal compared to the standard ones. This will allow us to explore some very different and, from certain points of view, extreme solutions. I expect this to help us get to know the RS-GP even better, with some advantages for the coming races as well.”

And with the first part of the 2016 season much more promising for the team than 2015 was, team boss Fausto Gresini says they’re keen to get stuck back in now.

“After a positive first half of the season where we were able take home eight top ten finishes, the entire team is very anxious to get back to work. Our goal is to build on the performance we demonstrated in the first nine races of the year, continuing to grow as we have so far.

“We are headed to a new track where, in any case, we were able to conduct tests that allowed us to collect some initial important information in order to identify already some setup solutions in view of the race. So we are expecting another good weekend from both Alvaro and Stefan, who will be back in the saddle here after his crash during warmup at the Sachsenring that forced him to miss the German race.”

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