Aprilia’s Emilia-Romagna GP: A Glimmer of Hope Amidst Qualifying Struggles

The Aprilia MotoGP team experienced a range of emotions following a challenging qualifying session at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

"Starting from the front is crucial for us; without that, competing is significantly harder given our motorcycle's characteristics."

Following two challenging Grand Prix events for Aprilia in Aragon and San Marino, the Emilia-Romagna leg of the MotoGP World Championship offered a glimmer of hope.

Maverick Vinales secured a sixth-place finish, showcasing impressive speed during the middle stages of the race. However, his aspirations for a top-five spot were hindered by a disappointing qualifying round, which resulted in him beginning the race from the eighth position.

"Truthfully, it felt great," Vinales shared with MotoGP.com following the second race at Misano, “we saw significant progress from [the San Marino Grand Prix].

"This is indeed a favorable development. It's accurate to say that our performance peaks during the midpoint of the race, clocking in around 1:31-low. However, it's crucial for us to be at the leading edge from the get-go; otherwise, given the nature of our motorcycle, it becomes quite challenging to contend."

"However, I continue to work on it, believing it will come to fruition. Thus, we made significant progress here in Misano, and we aim to maintain this momentum in the upcoming Grand Prix races."

Aleix Espargaro had a more reserved outlook compared to his Aprilia team colleague, Vinales, but managed to see some encouraging signs in Aprilia's showing at the Emilia-Romagna event compared to their performance at the San Marino Grand Prix, held at the same Misano circuit just a fortnight earlier.

"Espargaro noted, "While I'm not satisfied, we've made some headway since [the San Marino Grand Prix]."

"In the initial segment of the race, the speed was fairly decent. As the race concluded, it's clear we're not on par with our competitors here, yet securing the eighth position isn't too disappointing."

"Furthermore, the distance to the podium wasn't what we anticipated, but we managed to close it slightly since the San Marino Grand Prix."

"I'm making an effort to stay optimistic and eagerly anticipating the upcoming Grand Prix."

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