The 2024 RS-GP turned heads when the covers got here off it on the Sepang take a look at at the beginning of February courtesy of its radical aerodynamic idea, and the bike continued to make headlines as Espargaro completed fifth in Malaysia and third on the Qatar take a look at.
Espargaro gained two grands prix in 2023 on his option to sixth within the standings and already feels the 2024 RS-GP is “higher all over the place” over a lap.
Nevertheless, he cautioned that the bike continues to be lacking horsepower in comparison with the Ducati, which is especially noticeable when in qualifying trim.
“We’re in a better stage than what I anticipated earlier than we began the pre-season, after the 2 checks,” Espargaro mentioned.
“[We’ve tested at] two fully completely different tracks and we’ve been quick. The Aprilia is best all over the place; we simply want to enhance the bike within the engine facet.
“We’d like extra torque, extra energy, particularly for the delicate tyre as a result of it appears to be like like we’re on the restrict. We can not extract extra from a delicate tyre. So, for Saturdays we’re going to battle.
“However when it comes to the race tempo with the medium tyre, it’s been superb. We flew. I’m very comfortable.
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Group
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures
“The RS-GP 24 is nice, I’m actually comfortable. However in case you verify my race simulation earlier than my crash, I did a few laps in 1m51s, which is loopy on a medium tyre.
“So, it implies that whenever you placed on a delicate you’d anticipate to be on prime, you’d anticipate to be a minimum of a few tenths quicker.
“However I couldn’t as a result of it’s like a flatspot all over the place, I would like extra energy. So, the bike is superb all over the place, we simply want to enhance the facility efficiency.”
Espargaro says the staff instructed him the horsepower the bike’s engine is producing is probably the most it has ever been, however that it “recognises that it’s not sufficient”.
With Aprilia sure by the rules from having the ability to develop its engine in-season, what it completed the Qatar take a look at on is more likely to be what it is going to race in 2024. As such, it is going to be “very tough” to make the good points he thinks are wanted.
“That’s a query you could give to Romano [Albesiano],” he replied, when requested if he might anticipate extra engine efficiency.
“It’s going to be very tough, sincerely. Romano instructed me in the course of the winter that we’re – he by no means instructed me precisely the variety of horsepower the Aprilia has – in a very, actually excessive quantity in comparison with 4, 5 years in the past.
“They by no means anticipated to achieve these numbers, however he recognises that it’s not sufficient. So, hopefully they’ll enhance, however it’s not going to be straightforward.”
