MOTOGP IN AUSTRIA
APRILIA UPGRADES PUT TO THE TEST BY A RATHER PARTICULAR TRACK
The second MotoGP race after the summer break has the top class teams taking on the historic Austrian Red Bull Ring. Opened in 1969, it has been completely revamped, becoming one of the most modern structures on the championship calendar. Its almost 6 kilometres of asphalt are characterized by long straights separated by demanding braking sections that put rider and bike to a rather severe test, but different than the other rounds on the calendar.
The technical upgrades introduced from the Brno race by the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini on the RS-GP machines piloted by Espargaró and Lowes were appreciated immediately by both riders. In fact, they see the Austrian track as the best possible test bench for them. After the good feedback received during the race weekend, the upgrades were confirmed in the post-race tests in the Czech Republic.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“The Austrian track is a strange one, very different from all the others on the calendar. Last year I had fun here. It is a track where the engine counts for a lot. With the steps forward we have made recently during the Brno weekend I am confident. I am truly curious too because already last year the Aprilia RS-GP had a good pace here and did one of its most competitive races of the season.”
SAM LOWES
“During the Brno tests we did a lot of work in view of this race. The initial part of braking is where I still struggle to get the best out of the RS-GP, but I think that the tests on Monday helped us to take a big step forward. The new technical package Aprilia introduced in the Czech Republic should help us. This is a start-and-stop track where braking and acceleration are crucial.”