Aprilia tests this Monday at Jerez, in what is the first official MotoGP test of the season. Their five riders are on track – Aleix Espargaró, Maverick Viñales, both from Trackhouse Racing, Miguel Oliveira and Raúl Fernández, as well as test rider Lorenzo Savadori.
Aprilia’s technical director, Romano Albesiano, explained that there are two types of development to work on this testing day at the Andalusian circuit: ‘Overall, the test is divided into two sections: one is to refine according to the results of the first four rounds of the season. Sometimes a small adjustment makes a big difference. So, all riders have a part of the day dedicated to this type of development. And then there is the medium and long-term development, which involves all parts of the bikes except the engine – frame, transmission, electronics, aerodynamics, clear starting device, which is increasingly a key point of performance. We are dividing these items among the five riders’.
Vibrations have been a problem for some riders and teams. Regarding Aprilia, Albesiano said that it is not a major concern, although he admits that it is unpredictable:
– Overall, the 2024 bike seems to be quite stable in this aspect. It seems that we are suffering much less than before. In the past, we suffered a lot from vibrations – on braking, entering the corner. And in recent years, a kind of rear tire vibration during acceleration occurred. But here we are apparently fine. It is very unpredictable. Sometimes it appears, sometimes it doesn’t. Honestly, I believe that no one in this paddock is able to truly predict or control this phenomenon.
