MotoGP Mugello: Aprilia’s F1-style rear wing ‘makes a difference’
T🅺he device appeared on the back of test rider Lorenzo Savadori’s RS-GP during Friday practice in Italy.
Although the new aerodynamics wer♛e not tried by factory star Aleix Espargaro, who set the fastest time of the day, the Spaniard explained that🍨 the wing is designed to increase load on the rear wheel, improving the first phrase of braking performance:
I spy some new aero! has an interesting winglet on the tai𝓡l unit of his RS-GP!
— MotoGP (@MotoGP)
“I was not able to try the rear wing, but I saw the data from the wind tunnel and it's interesting,” Espargaro said. “It looks like it's just♓ pure marketing, but believe me, it makes a difference.
“Yeah, it r🏅eminds you of Formula One, but it gives a lot of weight in some places and now in MotoGP we're talking about details.
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“We are lacking a little bit of weight on the rea🍌r. This is why I cannot increase the engꦜine brake, so I pushed them to create more load on the rear.
“They're working in different 🃏areas to improve this and 🍬one [solution] was the aerodynamics.”
But having enjoyed such a strong start to the weekend, Espargaro thinks he will now postpone trying the device foཧr himself until the Catalunya test.
“Maybe the plan was to try tomorrow but the 𒈔bike works good and I’m fast so I will wait,” he said.
One new Aprilia i❀nnovation Espargaro did make use of on Friday was an upgraded engine.
“I tried the new engine. It’s not a huge difference but you could see the top speed of⛦ Maverick, Lorenzo and me has been quite fast. More than 350 and very close to the Ducati,” he said.
“We still have some problem with sixth gear, it’s very difficult this track with a small bump [on the main straight] because it creates some [spike] in the RPM🅘s.
“But the bike is fast, an꧑d I hope it will help me on Sunday.”
Espargaro’s team-mate Maverick Vinales was 17th fastest with S💃avadori 26th and lasཧt.
"Today we primarily tested the 𝕴new a𝓡erodynamic item Aprilia brought," Savadori said. "There is still work that needs to be done to make it perform better.
"That’s why I didn't focus on the time attack or pure speed, but I am extremely happy to be here in Mugello and t🌃o see Aleix competitive yet again."
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has ⛦seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
