The 2024 RS-GP turned heads when the covers got here off it on the Sepang take a look at firstly 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 received two grands prix in 2023 on his technique to sixth within the standings and already feels the 2024 RS-GP is “higher all over the place” over a lap.
Nonetheless, he cautioned that the bike remains to be lacking horsepower in comparison with the Ducati, which is especially noticeable when in qualifying trim.
“We’re in the next stage than what I anticipated earlier than we began the pre-season, after the 2 checks,” Espargaro mentioned.
“[We’ve tested at] two utterly totally 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 aspect.
“We want extra torque, extra energy, particularly for the gentle tyre as a result of it appears to be like like we’re on the restrict. We can not extract extra from a gentle 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 Workforce
Picture 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 signifies that if you placed on a gentle you’ll count on to be on high, you’d count on to be at the least 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 ability efficiency.”
Espargaro says the workforce informed him the horsepower the bike’s engine is producing is essentially the most it has ever been, however that it “recognises that it’s not sufficient”.
With Aprilia certain by the rules from having the ability to develop its engine in-season, what it completed the Qatar take a look at on is prone to be what it is going to race in 2024. As such, it is going to be “very troublesome” to make the features he thinks are wanted.
“That’s a query it’s worthwhile to give to Romano [Albesiano],” he replied, when requested if he may count on extra engine efficiency.
“It’s going to be very troublesome, sincerely. Romano informed me through the winter that we’re – he by no means informed me precisely the variety of horsepower the Aprilia has – in a extremely, actually excessive quantity in comparison with 4, 5 years in the past.
“They by no means anticipated to succeed in these numbers, however he recognises that it’s not sufficient. So, hopefully they’ll enhance, however it’s not going to be straightforward.”
