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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Quotes ahead of Chinese GP


This year's Chinese GP will also be the last time for MotoGP riders on the track. The circuit will not be on the calendar next year and only host F1 races from then on.

Before the long flight to China, all riders from Team Aspar shared their opinion about the track and talked about what they did during the long break.
(Translated with help from Babelfish)

Alvaro Bautista, 250cc Mapfre Master Aspar:
"I come to China after we made the best of the weekend in Portugal and snatched the victory and after being with my friends and family. I also I fulfilled some open duties. The triumph of Estoril has given me much tranquillity and this really is what matters to me the most, facing the Great Prize of Shanghai.
During the past weeks I have been training hard to come to China in best shape. It is not one of my favorite circuits, but in the last two years I have been on the podium in 125 and in 250. So hopefully this year we are able to repeat that result or even improve it. It is a quite atypical circuit with its curves, but if we continue working like we did so far, we will surely be able to find the best setting."

Hector Faubel, 250cc Mapfre Master Aspar
"In Portugal we took a good step forward, I enjoyed myself during the race and I was able to fight with other riders.
Shanghai is a strange circuit, but I like it, among other things because last year I finished second. I have never raced here with the 250 before, so I hope to continue taking the right steps forward, like in Estoril. The past weeks I have used the opportunity to train a lot with my mountainbike and a motorbike on a closed circuit. I feel fit and can't wait to race with the Aprilia in China".

Sergio Gadea, 125cc Bancaja Aspar Team:
"The Shanghai circuit is one that I like very much. Last year I led a great part of the race, but in the end we finished sixth. We didn't go very fast, but I am sure that this year, with the level that we have seen at the beginning of the season, we will. The circuit of Shanghai has some curves similar to the track in Qatar and is fast, so I am convinced that we can obtain a good result. The goal is to get as many points as possible and to avoid at all costs that Corsi wins again. We didn't have much luck in the last two races, but if we continue doing our work like until now, we will be on the top again soon".

Gabor Talmacsi, 125cc Banjaca Aspar Team:
"Since we left Portugal I have stopped racing. I have had some commitments with sponsors, I went to the Dakar Series in my country and for the most part I didn't train at the Hungaroring. It is clear that at the moment we are in a delicate situation and the 12th position in the championship is not where I like to be.
The past weeks I have found some more motivation and I hope that the things evolve more positive shortly. Mentally I stay confident and strong as always. We know that the next race in Shanghai is really important for our season. If we manage to finish between the three first, we will be able to continue thinking about the Championship".

Pere Tutusaus, 125cc Bancaja Aspar Team:
"I'm very excited to race in Shanghai. I know it is more apt for F1 with the geometry of its curves and not so much for bikes.
In order to not go there completely unprepared, I have been training with the MotoGP game on Playstation and I like the entrance, the main exit of the straight very much. Last week I competed in the CEV, it was a good weekend of racing and getting some more experiences with the bike. Although we didn't finish very good, because when I was fighting for the fourth position a problem with the electronics of my bike relegated me to the 12th place. Every time these things happen I take more experiences with me and my goal is that I want to be in the points as soon as possible".

Chinese Grand Prix - TV Schedule


Friday May 2nd

EUROSPORT
6.00am - MotoGP :: China :: 125cc Practice
7.45am - MotoGP :: China :: Moto GP Practice
8.00am - MotoGP :: China :: 250cc Practice
9.00am - MotoGP :: China :: Moto GP Practice

EUROSPORT 2
15.00 - MotoGP :: China :: 125cc Practice
15.30 - MotoGP :: China :: 250cc Practice
16.00 - MotoGP :: China :: Moto GP Practice
21.15 - MotoGP :: China :: Moto GP Practice

*********************************************

Saturday May 3rd

EUROSPORT
6.00am - MotoGP :: China :: Qualifying 125cc
6.45am - MotoGP :: China :: Qualifying MotoGP
8.00am - MotoGP :: China :: Qualifying 250cc
23.30 - MotoGP :: China :: Qualifying MotoGP
00.15 (Sun) - MotoGP :: China :: Qualifying 250cc

EUROSPORT 2
16.30 - MotoGP :: China :: Qualifying MotoGP
17.30 - MotoGP :: China :: Qualifying 250cc

*********************************************

Sunday May 4th

EUROSPORT
4.45am - MotoGP :: China :: 125cc Race
6.00am - MotoGP :: China :: 250cc Race
7.15am - MotoGP :: China :: Moto GP Race
10.00am - MotoGP :: China :: 250cc Race
11.00am - MotoGP :: China :: Moto GP Race

EUROSPORT 2
16.15 - MotoGP :: China :: 250cc Race
16.45 - MotoGP :: China :: Moto GP Race
21.15 - MotoGP :: China :: Moto GP Race

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(*All times: BST, GMT +1)


Monday, April 28, 2008

Chinese Grand Prix - Weekend Schedule


In the 250cc class, the 2007 Chinese GP was one of Alvaro Bautista's top races last year, coming home 3.904 seconds behind Jorge Lorenzo and over 5 seconds ahead of third place man Andrea Dovizioso (plus then teammate de Angelis, Kallio and Barbera making up the top six) - and in the 125cc it was another decent outing for the Aspar Team, with Hector Faubel in 2nd, Gabor Talmacsi in 4th and Sergio Gadea in 6th.

Let's hope it's another strong weekend in both classes this time round too :)

Here's the weekend event schedule...
(*All times are local, of course)

Friday May 2nd
125cc :: Free Practice 1 :: 09:00-09:45
MotoGP :: Free Practice 1 :: 10:00-11:00
250cc :: Free Practice 1 :: 11:15-12:15
125cc :: Qualifying 1 :: 13:10-13:40
MotoGP :: Free Practice 2 :: 13:55-14:55
250cc :: Qualifying 1 :: 15:10-15:55


Saturday May 3rd
125cc :: Free Practice 2 :: 09:00-09:45
MotoGP :: Free Practice 3 :: 10:00-11:00
250cc :: Free Practice 2 :: 11:15-12:15
125cc :: Qualifying 2 :: 13:10-13:40
MotoGP :: Qualifying 1 :: 13:55-14:55
250cc :: Qualifying 2 :: 15:10-15:55


Sunday May 4th
125cc :: Warm-Up :: 09:40-10:00
250cc :: Warm-Up :: 10:10-10:30
MotoGP :: Warm-Up :: 10:49-11:05
125cc :: Race :: 12:00-11:45
250cc :: Race :: 13:15-13:00
MotoGP :: Race :: 15:00-15:00


Thursday, April 24, 2008

CEV 2008 Promotion Video



A promotion video for the Spanish Championship 2008 by motociclismo.es.
The clips are all from 2007 including a few action shots of Pere Tutusaus, Team Aspar's newest rider addition.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

New & Old Sponsors for Gadea & Faubel

Early in the season it is time for new personal sponsors or to renew existing sponsorships.


With his heroic win in Qatar despite a dislocated collarbone, Sergio Gadea attracted a new sponsor. Moxito is a "fashion drink" and chose Sergio as the new representative, beginning with the race in Estoril just over a week ago.


Hector Faubel has made contracts with four companies which will be featured on his 2008 helmet. Faubel renewed his personal sponsorships with Vidal Tiendas, his biggest sponsor, and Profiltek. His helmet will also feature two new sponsors in the form of Garcamps and Obeikan, the latter being involved with Hector in various forms over the last few years.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

CEV Round 1 :: Valencia :: Results In Full

Position - N° - Rider - Team - Manufacturer - Nationality - Time - Gap
1 67 SCHRÖTTER,Marcel MS RACING T. HONDA GER18 31:17.583 18 Laps
2 26 MARTIN,Adrián BANCAJA MIR APRILIA SPA 31:17.652 00:00.069
3 39 SALOM, Luis J. RZT RACING APRILIA SPA 31:26.157 00:08.574
4 77 CARDUS, Ricard ANDALUCIA DERBI DERBI SPA 31:32.485 00:14.902
5 84 MIRALLES, Julián BANCAJA MIR APRILIA SPA 31:39.970 00:22.387
6 10 TRABALON,Cristian ALPO ATL.MADRID APRILIA SPA 31:45.253 00:27.670
7 97 BEAUBIER,Cameron RED BULL MOTOGP A. KTM USA 31:45.267 00:27.684
8 52 KENT,Danny RED BULL MOTOGP A. KTM GBR 31:46.715 00:29.132
9 88 LLADOS,Amadeo LLADOS R.T. APRILIA SPA 31:46.948 00:29.365
10 38 LITJENS,Joey ABBINK-BOS R. NED 31:47.209 00:29.626
11 28 MAESTRO, Iván HUNE-MATTEONI-L. AV APRILIA SPA 31:53.589 00:36.006
12 30 TUTUSAUS, Pere ASPAR-CURVACERO APRILIA SPA 31:57.692 00:40.109
13 37 OTANI,Kazuya SAG CASTROL HONDA JPN 31:59.412 00:41.829
14 16 CLIMENT,Oscar ASPAR-CURVACERO APRILIA SPA 32:09.584 00:52.001
15 64 FERNANDEZ,Joaquin H43 T.HERNANDEZ APRILIA SPA 32:17.789 01:00.206
16 17 LOPEZ, Eduard TCR DERBI R. DERBI SPA 32:18.630 01:01.047
17 48 MONCAYO, Alberto ANDALUCIA DERBI DERBI SPA 32:18.790 01:01.207
18 66 CASUSO,Alejandro TEY RACING APRILIA SPA 32:19.317 01:01.734
19 57 HÜBSCH,Eric T.SACHSENRING APRILIA GER 32:19.467 01:01.884
20 99 SAMBERA,Lukas SEBIMOTO R. APRILIA CZE 32:19.475 01:01.892
21 23 ESTEBAN,Eneko RZT RACING APRILIA SPA 32:24.788 01:07.205
22 33 DALMAU,Jordi SAG CASTROL HONDA SPA 32:30.553 01:12.970
23 21 VAN DE BUNT,Jerry DEGRAAF-EXACT SOFTAPRILIA NED 32:30.788 01:13.205
24 18 IWEMA,Jasper ABBINK BOS R. SEEL NED 32:30.884 01:13.301
25 40 WRIGHT,Alec REPLICAST UK R. HONDA GBR 32:31.432 01:13.849
26 63 DEBISE,Valentin C.D'ALBI KTM FRA 32:32.410 01:14.827
27 53 ALARCOS,Antonio J. KTM MONLAU COMP. KTM SPA 32:44.610 01:27.027
28 79 RUIZ,Daniel MOTORACING ESTELLAHONDA SPA 32:55.291 01:37.708
29 13 LOMBARDI,Bernardino BLUSENS APRILIA APRILIA ITA 31:22.420 17 Laps 130.20
30 61 DUBBNICK,Ernst HONDA NED 31:25.827 00:03.407


Pere Tutusaus Biography


(*Above: some images from Pere's motorcycling career)

With the CEV Buckler championship kicking off today in Valencia, in which Pere Tutusaus - the Bancaja Aspar 125cc Team rookie is also competing, as well as the main MotoGP 125cc class - it seems as good a time as any to post a general biography and career history of the rider from Igualada...
Source: Aspar Media


For Pere Tutusaus - the youngest member of the Bancaja Aspar Team - living in the world of two wheels, began at the age of two once his mother gave him his first motorbike, a Yamaha Piwi. At the age of seven, Pere started racing in Tous, a small village near Barcelona, and he scored the 11th position at the finish.
The following year (1998) he competed in the Cataluña initiation enduro championship, with a KTM given to him by his father the year before. He finished 3rd.
Throughout this year he made the third step of podium, except in the last race where he finished second. The quality of young Pere was evident and continued in 1999 when he was proclaimed champion of Cataluña initiation enduro championship, winning all the races except one. Those days he was riding a Polini motorbike in TV-Competition team (Tutusaus-Vila) created by his father.

2000 was a difficult year for Pere when he ran in the Cataluña enduro 65cc championship. That year the 65cc and 80cc were united categories and the adaptation became complicated.
Even so, the rider from Igualada also ran in the Cataluña supermotard and enduro championship - gaining the third position at the end of the season, riding a Kawasaki.

In 2001 Pere ran in the Cataluña and Andorra Promocup championships and managed runner-up with a Conti motorbike.
In 2002 Pere showed his value and skill once again and became RAC 50cc champion.  The Spaniard was extremely strong thourought the season and won all races except two. One, in which he could not race because of a bone fracture, and last race that was run in rain, in which Pere clinched the title. That year Pere also won a race in the Spanish cup in Valencia. The reward of a season filled with triumphs was to travel to the United States to compete as a Wild Card in the American mini motos championship. Pere ran in the categories of 50cc and 80cc and he collected a win and a third position. It was a great feat considering that he ran both races with a 50cc Metrakit and Pere remembers this North American adventure with much affection.

In 2003 Pere made his debut in 125cc, being part of the RACC Impala team (Honda) in the championship of Cataluña where his best result was a second, which he scored twice. That year he also made his debut in the CEV (Spanish championship) at the circuit of Albacete, where he did one of the best starts of his career to date: from 20th position on the grid he arrived at the end of the straight in the lead. A collision with another rider made him lose many positions, although he finally crossed the line in 16th.

In 2004 he ran in the championship of Cataluña and all the races of the Spanish Championship with the RACC-Caja Madrid Team (Honda), under the guidance of Emilio Alzamora and finished 22nd in the overall classification. In 2005 Pere continued in the RACC-Caja Madrid Team and won for the first time in 125cc., in the third race of the championship of Cataluña in Albacete. It was a hard year for the young rider, because he had many problems with the engine of his Honda which broke in several races.
In 2006 Pere raced with the RACC Derbi Team and, having recovered his optimism as well as his good speed, managed a second position and finished the fifth in the final classification of the Spanish Championship. This allowed him to make his debut as a Wild Card in the Cheste Grand Prix, where he finished in 26th.

The 2007 was probably one of the best years in the Pere’s career, because with the FMCV-Team he performed among the best riders currently in Spain and was able to finish fourth in the overall classification of the CEV championship. This year Pere also won a CEV race. It was the first race of the national championship that was run in Albacete, where the young rider won and also took the pole. The current roikie of the Bancaja Aspar Team was Wild Card in the Grands Prix of Portugal, Jerez, Cataluña and Valencia. His best results in his first grand prix outings that year was 16th in Jerez.

All these great results and achievements have opened doors for the 125cc rookie and that is why he is now riding at the Bancaja Aspar Team. Thus, Pere hopes to take much experience quickly because: "it is amazing to be able to run with two riders like Hector or Sergio from whom I can learn many things”. The young rider has a three year contract under the leadership of one of the icons of the MotoGP world, Jorge Martinez - "Aspar" himself. In 2008 Pere runs in both the CEV and the MotoGP 125cc world championship.



Talavera Se Mueve Sponsorship Renewed For Bati


Talavera Se Mueve - the organisation that promotes Alvaro's hometown of Talavera de la Reina and its region - has renewed its sponsorship of the rider for another year.
The deal is worth €12,000 and Talavera's mayor Jose Francisco Rivas said they were happy to continue with the arrangement because of the pride Alvaro has in the city, which he takes around the world.

WE SAY: It's great to see Bati's special relationship with his hometown continuing; they seem as proud of him as he is of them, and it's genuinely gratifying to see such a rising star ensure that he doesn't lose touch with his roots.


Thursday, April 17, 2008

Bautista On Estoril Tests


Alvaro Bautista continued testing for the 250cc Aspar squad at Estoril on Monday, following his dominant victory there in the Grand Prix on the Sunday.
The tests were primarily to assess new Dunlop tyres ahead of the forthcoming Chinese GP on May 4th. Alvaro did 38 laps with a best time of 1:41.20 - and here's what he said about the takeout from the tests...

"We tested three front compounds and another rear compound. The rear gave us plenty of grip but we will continue to work on its durability. The findings have been very positive and should help Dunlop with further improvements.
It has been a very complete weekend, because apart from the test we finished the race with the best possible result, which has motivated us a lot. In any case, our ambition is always to work towards each race, making more small improvements..."



Bancaja Aspar Promotion Video 2007

This is a promotion video for the 125cc Bancaja Aspar Team 2007 comprised of Sergio Gadea, 125cc World Champion Gabor Talmacsi and runner-up Hector Faubel.

Video of the Mapfre Aspar Team 2008 Photo Shoot



Here's a videoclip of the 2008 pre-season photo shoot for the Mapfre Aspar Team, covering both the 125cc and 250cc squads.
It features the bikes and all the riders, with 250 boys Alvaro Bautista & Hector Faubel showing off their new red livery, and the 125 squad's Gabor Talmacsi and Sergio Gadea joined by newbie Pere Tutusaus in the usual blue/white combo.

Enjoy... :)


Alvaro Bautista 'Spanish Flag' Desktop Wallpaper


Here's one of many Alvaro Bautista desktop wallpaper downloads to be found at AlvaroBautista.co.uk and the BatiFans.com Alvaro Bautista Fan Forum right now, many in special sizes and widescreen formats.
Click here to download...


Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Race Report: Portuguese GP - 250cc - 13/04/08

(*Source: Aspar Media)
 

Álvaro Bautista set his stall out for the Grand Prix of Portugal by setting the fastest time in warm-up before annihilating the opposition in the race. The Mapfre Aspar team rider dived into an early lead and within two laps he’d already opened out a second over his closest rival Marco Simoncelli. Álvaro gathered momentum as the race went on, setting the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1’41.425.
The victory provided a turnaround in fortunes for Aprilia’s number one rider, who made it third time lucky after an unfortunate opening two rounds with his third consecutive victory in all classes at the Portuguese track. For “Bati” this was also his eleventh Grand prix win overall and his third in the 250 class.

It proved to be a happy morning all round for the Mapfre Aspar Team in what is almost a home race, Héctor Faubel keeping his promise to grit his teeth from the start as he charged up to eighth place on the first lap. Faubel battled with fellow rookie Lukas Pesek to take ninth place and a valuable top ten finish.

1st Álvaro Bautista:
“Estoril is like a home race now – I’ve won here three times but this is the most important one for me. We’ve had some really bad luck recently, we’ve worked well but for one reason or another it hasn’t converted into results. This win gives myself and the whole team a lift because we needed a result like this to show we can run at the front again. The race was tough because the track conditions were different to how they were in practice – it rained last night and there were a couple of damp patches where the grip wasn’t the same. When I got away at the front I was able to get some good reference points and set my pace, escaping from Simoncelli. With a few laps left it started to drizzle in the chicane so I dropped my pace because the advantage was big enough for me not to take any risks. Now I want to keep this going and continue to win races.”

9th Héctor Faubel:
“I’m really happy because this is the first time this season I’ve had fun in a race. We’ve done a great job with Aprilia all weekend and I felt comfortable riding. At the start Simón, Pesek, Barberá and myself got in each other’s way and that allowed the front group to escape. I’m really pleased to come out of it with this result, especially because now we go to China, a circuit I like and where I tend to do well. Let’s see if we can take another step forward there.”



Race Report: Portuguese GP - 125cc - 13/04/08

(*Source: Aspar Media)
 

On a day that was mixed up as much by the weather as it was by a change in the race schedule, the 125cc race was the final act of the 10th edition of the Grand Prix of Portugal. Gábor Talmacsi made a good start to move up to fifth place just three laps after the start, the World Champion pushing but struggling to catch up with a lead group of four. Gábor eventually lost places in the final stages of the race but made the most of a slipstream from Mike Di Meglio to claim sixth on the line. 
The Hungarian’s team-mate Sergio Gadea made a discreet start and also featured in the chasing group at the start before losing touch and finishing a lonely ride to the top ten. Bancaja Aspar Team rookie Pere Tutusaus, paying only his second visit to the Portuguese track, finished 22nd as he continued a Grand Prix education that now moves on to the dramatic and challenging surroundings of China.

6th Gábor Talmacsi:
“It has been a tough weekend because we haven’t been able to find the right set-up for the race. I gave my best over the first few laps so that the lead group didn’t escape and when I was closing in on them the rear tyre started to slide and I also couldn’t brake as I wanted to on the way into the corners. I had to drop my pace and I lost the positions I’d made up at the start. Hopefully I can have a better race next time – I’ll sit down with the mechanics tonight and see how we can improve things for the next GP”.

9th Sergio Gadea:
“This isn’t the result I was hoping for but in any case I have to say thanks to the team for a great job this weekend. It seems like we had some problems with the acceleration of the bike and that’s why I lost places at the start. When I tried to recover it was too late but I still pushed. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough confidence and after a couple of risky moments I decided to back off. We’ve got some points and I think the job we’ve done here will help us throughout the season.”

22nd Pere Tutusaus:
“I got a good start and made up some positions on the inside but I’m still lacking pace over the opening laps. I didn’t feel comfortable and I think I could have set faster times but I’m happy because I finished the race and I picked up more experience. I hope we can continue to improve in the next race in China and who knows, we might even make up some more positions.”


Sunday, April 13, 2008

Portuguese GP - Estoril - 250cc Results

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 44:34.257
2. Marco Simoncelli Gilera + 7.050
3. Mika Kallio KTM + 7.063
4. Thomas Luthi Aprilia + 12.998
5. Hiroshi Aoyama KTM + 14.666
6. Yuki Takahashi Honda + 18.498
7. Julian Simon KTM + 26.812
8. Hector Barbera Aprilia + 28.012
9. Hector Faubel Aprilia + 28.288
10. Lukas Pesek Aprilia + 36.966
11. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia + 38.296
12. Alex Baldolini Aprilia + 52.070
13. R.Wilairot Honda + 1:13.303
14. Federico Sandi Aprilia + 1:17.592
15. Eugene Laverty Aprilia + 1:21.363
16. Karel Abraham Aprilia + 1:26.355
17. Manuel Poggiali Gilera + 1:27.438
18. Imre Toth Aprilia + 1 lap
19. D.T.Pradita Yamaha + 1 lap

Portuguese GP - Estoril - 125cc Results

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Simone Corsi Aprilia 40:56.168
2. Joan Olive Derbi + 0.299
3. Nicolas Terol Aprilia + 6.355
4. Steve Bonsey Aprilia + 14.973
5. Daniel Webb Aprilia + 15.532
6. Gabor Talmacsi Aprilia + 15.868
7. Mike Di Meglio Derbi + 15.875
8. Stefan Bradl Aprilia + 17.887
9. Sergio Gadea Aprilia + 18.123
10. Sandro Cortese Aprilia + 22.613
11. Andrea Iannone Aprilia + 27.490
12. D.Agerter Derbi + 27.544
13. Pol Espargaro Derbi + 28.370
14. Michael Ranseder Aprilia + 28.417
15. Efren Vazquez Aprilia + 32.713
16. Tomoyoshi Koyama KTM + 34.002
17. Stefano Bianco Aprilia + 47.698
18. Marc Marquez KTM + 51.637
19. Takaaki Nakagami Aprilia + 51.679
20. Alexis Masbou Loncin + 51.717
21. Scott Redding Aprilia + 1:07.908
22. Pere Tutusaus Aprilia + 1:15.894
23. Dino Lombardi Aprilia + 1:19.975
24. Robert Muresan Aprilia + 1:39.194
25. Cyril Carrillo Honda + 1:39.218
26. Axel Pons Aprilia + 1:43.956
27. Ivan Maestro Aprilia + 1 lap
28. Karel Pesek Aprilia + 1 lap

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Aspar - A Brief History


About Team Aspar

Jorge Martínez, also known as "Aspar", (born August 29, 1962 in Alzira, Valencia, Spain) was one of the most successful motorcycle racers in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history with 22 Grand Prix victories to his name in the 80 cc class and a further 15 wins in the 125 cc class.

He entered his first Grand Prix in 1982. Between 1986 and 1988, he claimed a total of four World Championships in these two categories, three times in the 80cc event and once at 125 cc. In 1988 he achieved the ‘double’, taking both crowns that year. His nickname was Aspar, a Spanish link with the shoe making industry which was given to him as a direct result of his father’s occupation as a cobbler.

The Spanish company Dinamic created a licensed racing game called Grand Prix Master around him. After his competitive career had ended in 1997, he went on to manage his own organisation, the Aspar Racing Team with Alex de Angelis as his rider.
Aspar runs two squads in the 2008 championships - 125cc and 250cc; with Alvaro Bautista and Hector Faubel riding in 250cc and Gabor Talmacsi, Sergio Gadea and Pere Tutusaus riding in 125cc.


THE TEAM - KEY PERSONNEL

Team Manager: Jorge Martinez
Assistant Team Manager: Silvia Pelufo
CEO: Facundo Garcia
Sports Director: Gino Borsoi
General Coordination & Media Manager:
Maria Jose Botella
Head of Administration: Carmen Pryzt
Assistant Administrator: Leonor Fons


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About Aprilia

Despite being a relatively small company by global motorcycling standards, Aprilia is very active in Motorcycle sport. It contests many Road Racing formulae, including the FIM 125 cc World Championship, the FIM 250cc World Championship, and the now-defunct FIM 500cc World Championship. From 2002-2004 they participated in the FIM MotoGP World Championship, and from 1999-2003 they participated in the FIM World Superbike series.

Aprilia Racing saw varying successes. They were extremely successful in the smaller displacement categories, winning numerous races & championships in the 125 cc Grand Prix and 250 cc Grand Prix classes. However, their 500 cc Grand Prix bike was less competitive, and their MotoGP effort, dubbed the RS3 Cube, was technically advanced but difficult to ride and performed poorly in the championship.

The Cube did, however, feature many advanced technologies either not seen or only being seen now in other MotoGP bikes - technologies including fly by wire throttle and pneumatic valve actuation systems. They were 3nd in manufacturers points and 2nd in rider points in the World Superbike Championship 2001 with rider Troy Corser. This was their high water mark for that series. They used a homologation special version of their road bike the RSVR Mille. The motor for the racebike was specially built by Cosworth.

Aprilia also feature in the off-road racing world, with their 450cc V2 motocrosser producing respectable results (including race wins) in both off-road (Motocross) and on-road (Supermoto) categories.

The company is also notable for choosing somewhat atypical engine configurations. For example, they progressed with development of a V2 500 cc Grand Prix bike when other teams were moving to V-Four configurations for what some believed was better & more usable power outputs. Aprilia continued this trend, taking advantage of lighter minimum weights with the introduction of their RS3 MotoGP bike - featuring three cylinders in an inline triple layout, the bike had the least number of cylinders on the Grand Prix paddock. Yamaha had gone ahead with an inline four layout, whilst Suzuki and Ducati went for (differently-designed) V-Four layouts. Honda took the idea even further, producing the championship-winning RC211V, powered by a V5 cylinder engine.

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