Speed Surge: Top 15 Riders at Italian MotoGP Outpace 2023 Winner’s Time, Highlighting MotoGP’s Performance Evolution

The leading 15 competitors in this season's Italian MotoGP, featuring Yamaha's Alex Rins, had the pace to claim victory in the 2023 contest.

This season's surge in MotoGP prowess was perfectly illustrated at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello.

On June 2nd, the first 15 cyclists to cross the finish line managed to complete the 23-lap course in a time quicker than the victorious pace set by Francesco Bagnaia on June 11, 2023.

This encompassed Yamaha's own Alex Rins, finishing 15th, who recorded a race duration of 41 minutes and 14.998 seconds, in contrast to Bagnaia's winning time of 41 minutes and 16.863 seconds from the previous year.

Regrettably for Rins and Yamaha, Bagnaia, who clinched victory in both events for Ducati, advanced by 25.478 seconds, putting him 23.613 seconds ahead of Rins at the finish line.

In the Sprint race, the narrative was much the same, as the fastest time set by Bagnaia in 2023 was surpassed by this year's leading eleven contestants.

"Competition is intense, necessitating significant effort from us, as the speeds are incredibly rapid," stated championship frontrunner Jorge Martin. "During the Sprint, we matched the lap time set in qualifying from three years prior.

"However, it's commonplace today. The tires have improved, and so have the motorcycles."

At Mugello, Maverick Vinales stood out for making one of the most significant annual gains, shaving off 33 seconds for Aprilia in this year's Grand Prix. However, he only managed to finish in 8th place. Vinales expressed his desire to cut down his time by 45 seconds next time, hoping that would be enough to secure a victory.

Vinales commented, "Ducati has made progress. It's uncertain if this improvement was just a one-time thing, like at Mugello, but even with a strong performance at Le Mans, I only finished in fifth place! Therefore, we must also advance."

"Let's wait for Assen, a circuit that might complement our bike more than Mugello."

In response to a question about the source of Ducati's advancements in race times for 2024, Vinales stated, "I believe a key factor is their ability to maintain the soft tyre's performance throughout the race."

"This indicates that we must check whether we're applying excessive heat to the rear tire. It's crucial for us to grasp this."

"My experience is that once I've completed 5 laps using the soft tires, they start to overheat. This causes me to begin losing traction, particularly noticeable when I'm entering corners. That's the issue at hand, so we'll need to focus on addressing it."

Aprilia's chief engineer, Romano Albesiano, pointed out that "Maverick's showing at Mugello the previous year wasn't strong, so this [33-second] figure might be somewhat misleading."

He also acknowledged, "It seems that the [rear Michelin] tire this year has undergone more alterations than anticipated."

"At times, we experience some vibration [chatter] as well… However, truthfully, it was more prevalent last year. Overall, our motorcycle gains an advantage from the new tire, so [the modification] works out well for us."

At KTM, newcomer and the leading RC16 competitor, Pedro Acosta, mentioned that he along with the team have dedicated significant efforts to counteract the vibration caused by the increased traction of the updated rear tire.

"Acosta mentioned, 'Post-Le Mans, we've found ways to steer clear of it. Indeed, a significant effort has been made in this domain, both by the manufacturer and myself, in altering my technique to prevent it."

"It hasn't become entirely instinctive for me yet, and admittedly, it's not the most straightforward method of riding for me, but it does help in steering clear of [the chatter]."

"He mentioned that he needs to refine his approach in certain sections of the circuit," he explained regarding his adjustments to prevent the onset of the shaking. "There could be areas where I might improve my approach, particularly at the beginning. However, if this issue of chatter occurs, it would exacerbate the situation towards the end."

"With this incredibly potent motorcycle, our objective is to achieve high speeds, especially on the exit and during the straight stretches, to effortlessly make up time. I'm putting effort into accomplishing this, and although it's not the simplest approach for me, I'm finding it's gradually improving."

Acosta's sole plea is for an increase in the weight of both tires to enhance their grip slightly.

Italian MotoGP: Comparison of Race Durations for 2024 and 2023 (23 laps)

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