2023-08-11 10:28:55
The start of the second half of the season has been good for Aprilia, which has once again achieved victory after doing a great job in the holiday breakhe. The Italians have been able to understand all the regulations well and they have found a good set-up on their bike, which has allowed them to put Ducati on the ropes at Silverstone, although now it will be time to continue like this in the next rounds.
In an interview with Nico Abad on his channel TwitchAntonio Jiménez has recognized that he enjoyed the victory of Aleix Espargaró in mixed conditions, where the Catalan knew how to manage the test well: “Normally, I’m pretty calm, I knew I was either second or at least trying to win. It was a very difficult situation due to the drops that fell in the last corners, no matter how good the traction was, it could get scared. He wanted to win, but he had people who were close. The last lap was heart-stopping, but with the illusion that today was the day”.
Aleix’s technical boss is clear about it, and right now the main problem in MotoGP is the balance between finding a bike that is agile and fast in any situation thanks to downforce, which is what they achieved at Silverstone: “Agility and aerodynamics is a compromise, you can’t have it all. You’re looking for downforce in the corner and you can’t make a bike agile as if it didn’t have wings. In Formula 1 they can play, a motorcycle that rotates on more axes, with more forces acting on it, is a difficult balance to find. We have a good balance now. We arrived at a stop and go track where the Ducatis are strong”.
The changes that are being introduced in the premier class do not seem to be to the liking of Aleix Espargaró’s chief mechanic, who points out that the new measures to control pressure hurt everyone by not knowing if he has really finished in that position or not until he finishes the race: “We did not need this pressure regulation, we have enough work with all the parameters that we have to adjust in a short time. At Silverstone they only talked about pressure and penalties. I can’t criticize anyone, I don’t like this rule, other teams like it less than I do, but we have to accept it. You can win a race, but they can penalize you with 3, 6 or 12 seconds, It is a lot of risk for them to sanction you like this ”.
Jiménez has been forceful and has not hesitated in stating that this situation has been caused by the risks that certain teams take to win tenths in each Grand Prix, generating a generalized irregular situation: “If this has happened it is because some have played and asked for it with too low pressure. At Michelin they have complained and worried, now they have set a standard that should start at the beginning of the year, but it was not under control with the sensors”.
One of the main problems of this regulation is found in the extreme secrecy that exists. As it has been known, only Michelin and the organization have access to the data collected, so they are not in the public domain and, therefore, many doubts can be raised about what has happened at all times so that it is finally sanctioned: “I don’t like. It would have to be all or none and they should be published or at least viewed on a screen. They could put the pressures with a green and a red color per pilot. There is always doubt. It is not clear, there will be complaints over time, when Pecco, Yamaha or Honda who are in misery receive a 3-second penalty, there will be more complaints. If they penalize me I won’t be happy and this is difficult to control”.
In this sense, the Aprilia man has gone a step further and has recognized that there is no relationship of any kind between the Michelin technicians and those of each brand, so they cannot know what happens inside a box to take certain measures: “They don’t take technicians from each factory and ask their opinion. We live with the pilots when they talk about safety, we are with them, when they remove the case at 200 heartbeats and with adrenaline pumping, we are the ones there. They consider us little when we are the ones who know everything.
After the victory at Silverstone, the championship has tightened a bit more and now it is time to confirm that Aprilia have done a good job during the summer and have approached Ducati with the development of the bike. The acid test will come at Red Bull Ring, a layout that is the territory of Borgo Panigale although those of Noale were not bad at all last year.
“Everything is possible with this new format”, commented the Aprilia man, who recognized that there are still options to fight for the title, although for that they will need to get podiums every weekend, take advantage of their rivals’ mistakes and cut points: “We should have a good run followed by podiums and cut back. We are going to a circuit where in theory it is a Ducati circuit, it is difficult for us, but last year we saved the furniture well with Aleix fourth. This year they bring a new hard casing with which it is very difficult to generate grip and very large brakes, generating more temperature in the previous brake and with a variable time. You have to dream, everything is possible”.
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Finally, Jiménez has left in the air a hypothetical union of Marc Márquez with those of Noale in the not too distant future, although everything would pass through the hands of Cervera, who would be prohibited from entering several brands: “In this world you never know what can happen. We are all interested in Honda and Yamaha being there in front. With Marc, the years go by, he continues to be one of the best, he can’t waste time if he wants to be world champion. He has two options, he waits and he loses his potential and desire or if he doesn’t make the change. I see it difficult for him to join KTM with the problems they have to place Acosta. On a Ducati I don’t think so, on an Aprilia it could be, initially all the riders have a contract”concluded Antonio Jiménez.
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