Private Test Valencia, 17./18.06.2009

The private two-day test at the Valencia circuit saw different fortunes for the 250cc Aspar squad. While Balatonring Team rider Balazs Nemeth suffered a hand fracture after a nasty crash, Mapfre Aspar rider Mike Di Meglio was able to make full use of the opportunity to get some further track time on his new Aprilia RSA machine. Teammate Alvaro Bautista did not participate in the test.

The 125cc Bancaja Aspar Team also made good progress with all three riders finishing the test with similar laptimes. Julian Simon and Bradley Smith both suffered crashes, but fortunately walked away uninjured.



Mike Di Meglio - 1.37.16 (98 laps)
"We started very well yesterday, but soon we had some problems with the engine that cost us some time. We began with a setting very similar to the one I used in Catalunya and I started to gain confidence with the Aprilia, getting some good laptimes and I felt very comfortable on the bike. Later we tried to make improvements, always from working from the frame onwards, but it did not work as we hoped. Today we continued looking for chassis solutions and we tried really and infinity of changes to see which setting fits my riding style best. In the end I think that the base setting that we used at the last GP, with some slight modifications, is the one that I like best, so I will try to use this for the next races. It's been two really productive days in which although we didn't find the one setthing that fits us 100%, we already sorted out everything that didn't help us."

Julian Simón - 1.40.4 (110 laps)
“It has been a very positive test for the championship, I think that is always good to try and improve, it's just been a pity that it's been so warm. The laptimes have not been too fast, but nontheless I leave the test satisfied because we have tried many things with the engine which let us find out what works best and gives us the best performance. We have found many solutions and there are also some things that can help us in the next races. I am satisfied for that and again very motivated, because I've been riding the bike again after Barcelona and the feeling on the bike is still equally good.”

Sergio Gadea - 1.40.5 (91 laps)
“These two days have gone really well. We tested some material and we tried to work on the base setup, although the conditions have not been the best and the temperature was a bit problematic. The laptimes have not been especially fast, but considering the heat I believe that we can be satisfied, in addition we had a constantly fast rhythm during both days. I am content, because I rode with the same tyres for a long time, getting a feel for it and always thinking about race conditions. We decided to finish around 3 PM because we didn't have much left to test and didn't want to risk a stupid crash.”

Bradley Smith - 1.40.7 (107 laps)
“I think this is a big advantage, to be able to count on a team like this, because it is not normally the case to have a test during the season, so I believe this has been a magnificent opportunity to continue doing some laps and understanding the basic aspects of the bike. This test has been very important for me right after Barcelona where we had some small problems with the setup. We tried to solve all those small details that did not work for us in the last GP. Our setting of the chassis was more or less clear, so we worked mainly on new configurations of the engine. At the very end of yesterday's afternoon session I had an unfortunate crash, but luckily today we have been able to continue working under normal circumstance. Overall I'm satisfied, because although we did not make some huge progress we tested out a lot of things and I think this is the most important.”

Aspar Team Day unites riders, mechanics, sponsors & helpers

Last week the annual Aspar Team Day took place for the second time at the Valencia Circuit in Cheste.

Jorge Martinez preparing for the kart race

The unique event is a big get-together for riders, mechanics, sponsors, organisators and people involved with Team Aspar and is a perfect opportunity to re-unite once more before the long off-season and have a bit of fun.

Alvaro Bautista taking a curve in the kart

A kart race for the 40 guests was the highlight of the day, followed by the three attending riders - Alvaro Bautista, Julian Simon and Sergio Gadea - as well as Jorge Martinez and Gino Borsoi taking a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO III fast around the track.


Jorge Martinez Aspar:
“It has been a very funny initiative. Throughout the year we have contact with our sponsors, mainly during the GPs, but always with only very limited time. This day has allowed us to enjoy some motorports activities and mainly it has allowed us to do it with some more time on our hands and in a more relaxed environment, now the season has ended.
It is interesting to be able to enjoy a rest day like this from time to time and seeing the success, I only hope that this idea is the first of many others”.

Test Valencia - Quotes 250cc riders

Álvaro Bautista 1’37.12
“The track wasn’t 100% but after a break of a month it was good to get a feel for the bike again. There isn’t much new to test so it was a case of just getting some laps in. We tried a few new settings with the front suspension but it was very windy and the track didn’t have much grip. It was difficult but we’re happy with the results, even though we need to try it in better conditions. We tried Aprilia’s new electronics on the second day but it didn’t work too well on the first bike. We changed everything on the second bike late on and it seemed to work well but we ran out of time to work on it. Generally speaking it was a quiet test in which we haven’t made any major changes but just worked on a few small things.”

Mike Di Meglio 1’38.6
“It has been a very positive couple of days in which I have simply focused on adapting to the new bike. I slowly managed to drop my times consistently into the 1’38s and got a feeling for the way the Aprilia reacts. I did a lot of laps on used tyres to see how it behaves mid-corner. The 250 moves around a lot and this is a new sensation for me but it is normal and I have to get used to it. I’m happy with how these few days have gone and satisfied with the result, even though it is my first time on a 250cc. I am going to have to prepare myself really well this winter, physically and mentally, to be at my absolute maximum in January.”

Test Valencia - Quotes 125cc riders

Julián Simón - 1’40.5
“I’m really happy – firstly with the job done by the team and secondly with the advice Jorge has offered me. I love the positive way the team is taking on this new challenge and in this test we have worked step by step, testing a whole host of things. The weather hasn’t done us any favours because the first day it was really windy and the second day it was really cold. That prevented us from setting better lap times. Even so, I made progressive improvements and each thing we tried was productive. The initial idea is to work on getting the bike ready for the first race of next season. We have got a lot of work to do over the winter in order to arrive at Jerez in good shape, which we have started on over these two days here in Valencia.”

Bradley Smith – 1’41.1
“They have been two positive days and I have had fun trying a lot of different things. We have tried to find some different solutions for the Aprilia, whilst we still have plenty of time. We can go away and think about things now over the winter and come back with a clear plan in the preseason. We’ve played around with a lot more things than you can at a test during the season, mainly the chassis and position on the bike, and the suspension settings. I also think my performance on the bike is much better than last season in a lot of areas. This is a good step forward and we have a lot of information to process, which should help us improve further.”

Sergio Gadea – 1’42.0
“We’ve basically worked on my position on the bike. We didn’t made as many changes as we thought necessary, on the front and rear, so that I could feel more comfortable. We also tried a couple of things with the chassis. I still need to get the bike turning better and keep it in line when I open the gas but we’ve made progress with a lot of small details and I’m satisfied with that. I have put in a lot of effort over the two days to make gradual changes. I’m happy and can go into the winter break with a good taste in my mouth.”

Pics of the Day: Valencia Test, Day 2

Test Valencia, Day 2

The second day of Aprilia testing at the Valencian circuit again saw the Aspar team dominating the timesheets.
In the 250cc class only three riders went out on track today, incidentally all of them current or former 125cc world champions (Bautista 2006, Talmacsi 2007, Di Meglio 2008) and Team Aspar riders. Alvaro Bautista stayed at the top of the timesheets, despite being about a second slower than yesterday. Gabor Talmacsi and Mike Di Meglio managed to improve their laptimes.
In the 125cc class new Aspar rider Julian Simon finished the day at the top of the list, improving yesterday's laptime over a second. Bradley Smith and Sergio Gadea both improved their laptimes as well.

125cc
1.- Julián Simón ESP Aprilia 1.40.5 69 laps
2.- Andrea Iannone ITA Aprilia 1.41.0 36 laps
3.- Bradley Smith GBR Aprilia 1.41.1 67 laps
4.- Sergio Gadea ESP Aprilia 1.42.0 53 laps

250cc
1.- Álvaro Bautista ESP Aprilia 1.38.1 44 laps
2.- Gabor Talmacsi HUN Aprilia 1.38.1 46 laps
3.- Mike di Meglio FRA Aprilia 1.38.6 55 laps

Pics of the Day: Valencia Test, Day 1

Test Valencia, Day 1

The Valencia cirucit in Cheste today saw several 125cc and 250cc Aprilia riders test their machinery for next year including the complete new Team Aspar. This was the first opportunity for the new Aspar signings Bradley Smith, Julian Simon and Mike Di Meglio to work with their new teams and Hungarian Gabor Talmacsi tried the 250cc Aprilia for the second time.
Brit Bradley Smith clocked the fastest time of the 125cc riders while Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista easily put in the fastest laptime in the 250cc class, almost a second faster than his new teammates Gabor Talmacsi and Mike Di Meglio.

125cc
1.- Bradley Smith GBR Aprilia 1.41.7 55 laps
2.- Julián Simón ESP Aprilia 1.41.7 69 laps
3.- Andrea Iannone ITA Aprilia 1.42.3 48 laps
4.- Sergio Gadea ESP Aprilia 1.43.5 47 laps

250cc
1.- Álvaro Bautista ESP Aprilia 1.37.1 53 laps
2.- Gabor Talmacsi HUN Aprilia 1.38.1 41 laps
3.- Mike di Meglio FRA Aprilia 1.38.9 55 laps
4.- Angel Rodríguez ESP Aprilia --- ---
4.- Cristian Trabalón ESP Aprilia --- ---
4.- Alberto Moncayo ESP Aprilia --- ---

The test also revealed the new livery for the Hungarian sponsored MOL Aprilia of Gabor Talmacsi and his new number 28, due to his original number 14 already being taken by Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot.
Furthermore Mike Di Meglio rode in the official Mapfre Aspar livery, confirming that he'll be the teammate of Alvaro Bautista the coming season with Alex Debon seemingly out of negotiations with the team.

Bancaja Aspar team supporting young talent in Cheste

Above: Alvaro Bautista and María Herrera on the grid of the MiniGP XL 80 class in Cheste

At the final MotoGP round of the season in Valencia one of the supporting races was the Cuna Campeones series which is somewhat similar to the Movistar Junior Cup a couple of years ago. With five classes - Minimotos, MiniGP, MiniGP XL, Pre GP and Pre GP Evo - the cup gives an opportunity for young talent to shine and take the first steps in competitive racing.
Sponsored by Bancaja, the cup invited the whole Bancaja Aspar Team in Valencia and Sergio Gadea, Gabor Talmacsi, Adrian Martin as well as Jorge Martinez gave the youngsters some advice, signed autographs and posed for pictures. The video below shows highlights of the races at the Cheste circuit and includes short interviews with the Aspar Team as well as with Belson Derbi rider Joan Olive.

Pics of the Day: Gabor Talmacsi on 250cc Aprilia RSA

Pics of the Day: Álvaro Bautista 100th GP

Álvaro Bautista celebrated his 100th GP with a podium finish in Valencia.
Congratulations and all the best from the teamaspar.net crew.

Pics of the Day: Valencian GP, Sunday

Valencia GP - 250cc - Quotes after Race

3rd Álvaro Bautista
"It has been a difficult race because I couldn't brake hard and the front end was bouncing a lot. I went wide on a few occasions, and didn't have any other choice but to try and hold on to as high a position as possible. At the end of the race Kallio fell and we had a little bit of luck to get on the podium, which we haven't had on a few occasions this year! Third place is not what I wanted, but neither did I expect to get it after the problems of the weekend. The year hasn't gone as we had planned, and the slow start was what really hit us hard. We continued to work hard, and we have ended the season with some incredible performances. It was a tough year, but next season we have to continue with the confidence that we have shown at the end of 2008."

6th Héctor Faubel
"I had a good start, but didn't have any confidence when the tank was full at the start, at the halfway point I was getting a much better feeling from the bike, and was able to pass a lot of riders. I'm happy with the result and the times that I had, and there was a great battle between myself and Debon until he crashed. Then I fought with Aoyama. On the last lap I tried to stick to him to try and pass, but the back of my bike stepped out, and I nearly fell. It was a little scare, and I lost eight tenths because of that. Then I didn't have time to catch him again. We are ending the season with a good result, which is what I wanted for the fans, and for that reason I am satisfied."

Valencia GP - 125cc - Quotes after Race

Gábor Talmacsi (DNF)
"I think that today a win would have been easier than in other races, but my gear change lever broke right at the start of the race. For a moment I thought that I would have to stop, because I couldn't change or control the bike, but I decided to continue. In this circuit there are some hard braking points where you need sensitivity in the engine, and I wasn't able to do this. A few laps later I fell on the back straight when trying to drop down to second gear. I tried my best to have a good race for the fans, and make my exit from the 125cc category in style, but it wasn't possible."

Sergio Gadea (DNF)
"The truth is that I am happy with how the weekend went. I just think that at the start of the race we had bad luck. Bradl fell right in front of me, and I wasn't able to swerve out of his way with him so close. It's a pity, because I know that the front group would not have left me behind, and that I could have fought for the win. We had a good setting and our aim was to win. Everyone was very fast at the start, but I knew that if I stick in front on the opening laps then I'd have a chance. I was hoping to make the most of any opportunity, but now I just have to look to the upcoming year and hope that our luck changes."

Adrián Martín (DNF)
"The feeling in the race was very good, and I took off thinking that I could pass a number of riders. I was moving up places and my motivation was going up, but when I got to the group in front of me I overtook Savadori and then the bike turned me over, throwing me up in the air. It was on the long corner, which you have to take at full gas, but it was an unexpected crash."

Valencia GP - 250cc - Race

Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista was the only rider for Team Aspar who was able to clinch a podium position in the final round of the 250cc season in Valencia.
Bautista started a bit slow from 6th position on the grid, but quickly caught up and went with the front group. Unfortunately he then encountered a severe shattering problem with the front fork and went off the track a couple of times which relegated him back to 6th position and made him lose a lot of time to the leader. He still managed to get back into 4th spot, but lost about 5 seconds to the leader already. He rode a lonely race in 4th position and looked to be off the podium until Mika Kallio crashed out of 2nd position while battling with Simoncelli for the win. This saw Alvaro moving up into third position and on the podium. Even though a bit lucky in the end, this was a well deserved reward for a difficult race with a not perfect machine. It was also Alvaro's 10th consecutive podium.
Teammate Hector Faubel finished his home race in a strong 6th place after battling with a group of riders through the whole race.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Total time
1 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera 43'29.003
2 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 5.164
3 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 8.648
4 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 15.605
5 H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 + 20.991
6 H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 22.212
7 A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia + 23.199
8 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 23.321
9 M. PASINI ITA Polaris World + 37.424
10 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 38.887
11 M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 + 44.065
12 A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing + 1'10.999
13 I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia + 1'31.950
14 D. ARCAS SPA Blusens Aprilia + 1'39.110
15 S. GROTZKYJ ITA Campetella Racing + 1'41.209
16 M. HERNANDEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia 1 Lap
17 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 1 Lap
18 F. SANDI ITA Zongshen AOS Racing 1 Lap
19 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia 1 Lap

Not classified
A. GYORFI HUN Team Toth Aprilia 3 Lap
A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia 6 Lap
J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc 8 Lap
F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing 15 Lap
L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP 16 Lap
T. WIRSING GER Racing Team Germany 16 Lap

Valencia GP - 125cc - Race

The final round of the 125cc championship in Valencia proved to be a black day for the Aspar Team as all of the three riders crashed out of the race.
Sergio gadea was the first of the Bancaja Aspar riders to crash when he couldn't avoid the motorcycle of Stefan Bradl who highsided right in front of him when Gadea was en route to a podium finish.
Gabor Talmacsi crashed next, as well sitting in a top position at the time.
Replacement rider Adrian Martin made progress and rode in the Top 25 before he crashed as well.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Total time
1 S. CORSI ITA Jack & Jones WRB 40'45.715
2 N. TEROL SPA Jack & Jones WRB + 0.106
3 M. DI MEGLIO FRA Ajo Motorsport + 0.223
4 B. SMITH GBR Polaris World + 0.776
5 S. CORTESE GER Emmi - Caffe Latte + 1.333
6 A. IANNONE ITA I.C. Team + 21.578
7 T. KOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 125 + 29.387
8 S. REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia Junior + 29.419
9 P. NIETO SPA Onde 2000 KTM + 38.059
10 E. RABAT SPA Repsol KTM 125cc + 38.481
11 L. ZANETTI ITA ISPA KTM Aran + 38.941
12 E. VAZQUEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia Junior + 48.466
13 L. SAVADORI ITA I.C. Team + 48.802
14 A. MASBOU FRA Loncin Racing + 50.340
15 E. JEREZ SPA ISPA KTM Aran + 50.575
16 T. NAKAGAMI JPN I.C. Team + 52.220
17 R. KRUMMENACHER SWI Red Bull KTM 125 + 55.047
18 J. FOLGER GER Red Bull KTM 125 + 55.139
19 J. CLUZEL FRA Loncin Racing + 55.546
20 M. RAVAIOLI ITA Matteoni Racing + 1'00.289
21 R. MURESAN ROU Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing + 1'10.142
22 B. CHESAUX SWI WTR San Marino Team + 1'26.165
23 L. ROSSI FRA FFM Honda GP 125 + 1'26.407
24 D. SAEZ SPA Gaviota Prosolia Racing + 1'41.720
25 C. TRABALON SPA Alpo Atletico de Madrid 1 Lap

Not classified
P. TUTUSAUS SPA Alpo Atletico de Madrid 1 Lap
S. BONSEY USA Degraaf Grand Prix 9 Lap
J. OLIVE SPA Belson Derbi 10 Lap
A. MARTIN SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 13 Lap
R. DE ROSA ITA Onde 2000 KTM 16 Lap
G. TALMACSI HUN Bancaja Aspar Team 18 Lap
D. WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix 18 Lap
R. LASSER GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing 18 Lap
D. AEGERTER SWI Ajo Motorsport 21 Lap
S. GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 22 Lap
S. BRADL GER Grizzly Gas Kiefer Racing 22 Lap

Not finished 1st lap
H. VAN DEN BERG NED Degraaf Grand Prix
R. CARDUS SPA Andalucia Derbi

Not starting
P. ESPARGARO SPA Belson Derbi

Disqualified
J. MIRALLES SPA Bancaja Mir CEV

Pics of the Day: Valencian GP, Saturday

Valencia GP - 250cc - Quotes after QP2

6th Álvaro Bautista: 1.36.419 (22 laps)
"The truth is that today was pretty much our first session in the dry but I had a problem with my first bike and had to take the second one. At the end of the session I ran into a bit of traffic and wasn't able to get a good lap together. I'm not too pleased with sixth place but I'm confident we can improve the engine and set-up of my number one bike. This is our home race and we can't let Simoncelli win here. I'll be going out tomorrow to beat him and win the race. It's an important one and the tactic is to win it whatever way we can. I'll be doing my part with that. The KTMs are also going really well at this track and I think it will be a group race. It is difficult to escape here so we'll try and run with the front group and I'm sure it will be a scrap."

9th Héctor Faubel: 1.36.635 (21 laps)
"My pace is good here and the general feeling is that we've had a positive session. It was a shame we had a second row start nicked off us right at the end but we have some small room for improvement and we'll work on that in the warm-up. I tried to lap alone towards the end because I've learned this year that getting a tow isn't much use in this class. I know this track really well and I'm really motivated for the race, although we have to be a little cautious about the race."

Valencia GP - 125cc - Quotes after QP2

1st Gábor Talmacsi: 1.41.451 (16 laps)
"I love the feeling I've got with my first bike and I'm so happy to be on pole position - not just for me but for the team because this is their home race. It is my final race in 125cc race so that's another reason to be happy that I'm signing off on top form. I wasn't sure this would be possible because I didn't feel too comfortable in the wet and my wrist still isn't 100% but little by little I built up my confidence and then pushed hard at the end. Second place in the championship is still not guaranteed and Corsi is close, but I think tomorrow will be exciting and anything could happen. The bike is working perfectly so I'm hoping for a dry race and a win, which I haven't managed at this circuit."

2nd Sergio Gadea: 1.41.641 (15 laps)
"It's a shame because I really wanted pole but I'm happy for Gábor. We've got a really good set-up here. Yesterday we didn't want to take any risks because we knew we could be fast in the dry and we are. I picked my pace up immediately after the red flag and on the last lap I was pushing hard, although the bike didn't feel 100%. Hopefully the race will be dry - I know Gábor is very strong but I'll push to try and escape. During the warm-up we'll do some more work on the set-up but we're almost ready."

24th Adrián Martín: 1.44.193 (17 laps)
"It was difficult to get into a rhythm today - firstly because the morning session was wet and then there was a red flag in the afternoon. We had some set-up problems and I didn't feel totally comfortable on the brakes. I also made a couple of mistakes mid-corner that cost me some time. I know this track well and I think we have a chance of putting together a good race and challenging for the points like we did last time."

Valencia GP - 250cc - Results QP2

With improved conditions compared to yesterday, all 250cc riders were able to go faster around the Valencian circuit in the second qualifying.
Mapfre Aspar rider Alvaro Bautista and Hector Faubel were also able to improve their positions on the grid with race starts from the 6th and 9th position respectively.
Both riders are eager to show a good performance for their home crowd in the last race of the season tomorrow.

Pos. Rider Nation Team Lap time
1 M. SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera 1'35.408
2 A. DEBON SPA Lotus Aprilia + 0.010
3 J. SIMON SPA Repsol KTM 250cc + 0.556
4 M. KALLIO FIN Red Bull KTM 250 + 0.786
5 H. AOYAMA JPN Red Bull KTM 250 + 0.859
6 A. BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 1.011
7 R. WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG + 1.160
8 R. LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera + 1.165
9 H. FAUBEL SPA Mapfre Aspar Team + 1.227
10 Y. TAKAHASHI JPN JiR Team Scot 250 + 1.246
11 T. LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte + 1.424
12 A. ESPARGARO SPA Lotus Aprilia + 1.433
13 L. PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP + 1.484
14 M. PASINI ITA Polaris World + 1.639
15 F. LAI ITA Campetella Racing + 1.992
16 A. BALDOLINI ITA Matteoni Racing + 2.047
17 S. GROTZKYJ ITA Campetella Racing + 2.395
18 I. TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia + 2.837
19 F. SANDI ITA Zongshen AOS Racing + 3.184
20 K. ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing + 3.233
21 M. HERNANDEZ SPA Blusens Aprilia + 3.466
22 D. ARCAS SPA Blusens Aprilia + 3.774
23 D. PRADITA INA Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia + 5.185
24 A. GYORFI HUN Team Toth Aprilia + 5.667
25 T. WIRSING GER Racing Team Germany + 6.566