Aprilia Team Chief Outlines Aragon MotoGP Fears

Aprilia Team Chief Paolo Bonora has revealed his concerns about the grip issues at Aragon MotoGP and how these challenges may recur at upcoming races.

Apr 14, 2024; Austin, TX, USA; Maverick Vinales (12) of Spain and Aprilia Racing leads Pedro Acosta (31) of Spain and Red Bull Tech3 GASGAS during the MotoGP Grand Prix of The Americas at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Aprilia Team Principal Paolo Bonora has revealed his concerns regarding the challenges faced by the factory squad at the Aragon MotoGP and the potential for similar issues in upcoming races.

Speaking at the San Marino Grand Prix on Friday, Bonora spoke about the adverse impact of poor grip on the new track asphalt caused by continuous overnight rain, a factor that significantly undermined Aprilia's performance at Aragon.

Bonora commented to the media, as quoted by Crash.net:

“Was so difficult, Aragon, much more than expected,” he said on Friday at the San Marino Grand Prix.

“During free practice one, we saw immediately that there was no grip at all with the new surface.

“We expected a track improvement during the weekend, did during Friday afternoon.

“The rubber that was put into the track on Friday afternoon helped us a lot, but suddenly the rain on Friday night changed the behaviour of the circuit, it changed the situation.

“So, it was so difficult for us. We did not find the way to give confidence to our riders.

“We understand probably it is related to our ability not on fast corners and using the lean angle to make the speed.

“But if we have no grip at all it is so difficult to use the advantage [of our bike].

“So, it is necessary to understand this situation because probably will occur other times, particularly in the Asian circuits when there will be rain and sun.

“So, we have to be much faster in the modification of the bike to understand this situation.”

Despite the struggles at Aragon, Aprilia showed promise during the Misano round, with Espargaro and Vinales placing sixth and ninth in FP1, respectively.

Looking forward, Aprilia's ability to quickly adapt and modify their bike setup will be pivotal in navigating the challenges posed by varying track conditions.

2024 MotoGP Championship - Current Standings

1. Jorge Martin - 299 points
2. Francesco Bagnaia - 276 points
3. Marc Marquez - 229 points
4. Enea Bastianini - 228 points
5. Pedro Acosta - 148 points
6. Brad Binder - 145 points
7. Maverick Viñales - 139 points
8. Aleix Espargaro - 119 points
9. Fabio Di Giannantonio - 112 points
10. Alex Marquez - 104 points
11. Franco Morbidelli - 83 points
12. Marco Bezzecchi - 82 points
13. Miguel Oliveira - 60 points
14. Fabio Quartararo - 51 points
15. Jack Miller - 48 points
16. Raul Fernandez - 46 points
17. Augusto Fernandez - 20 points
18. Takaaki Nakagami - 18 points
19. Johann Zarco - 17 points
20. Alex Rins - 15 points
21. Joan Mir - 15 points
22. Daniel Pedrosa - 7 points
23. Pol Espargaro - 6 points
24. Luca Marini - 1 point
25. Stefan Bradl - 0 points
26. Remy Gardner - 0 points
27. Lorenzo Savadori - 0 points