THE APRILIA RS-GP MACHINES BID THE 2019 SEASON FAREWELL IN THE SPECIAL (RED) LIVERY TO MAINTAIN AWARENESS IN THE BATTLE AGAINST HIV.
Valencia (Spain), 17 November 2019 - Aleix Espargaró took home another top-ten placement, closing out the Valencia race in ninth place after a thrilling battle with teammate Andrea Iannone, who crashed on the final lap, and finishing ahead of his brother Pol. After starting from the fifteenth spot on the grid, Aleix skilfully moved his way up through the pack, thanks in part to a few crashes, until battling for the spots just outside the top ten. In the end, he gained the upper hand against his brother Pol, taking ninth place.
Andrea Iannone rode a great race. After starting twentieth, he quickly moved up until catching the Espargaró brothers, then moving into the lead of the trio battling for ninth before crashing out just a few turns from the end, when a double top-ten finish seemed imminent for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini. The satisfaction remains of having progressed from the opening sessions to a race far beyond what had seemed possible at the beginning of the weekend.
As per tradition, the final race of the world championship was a special occasion for Aprilia Racing and the Piaggio Group. The RS-GP machines entered the race in the totally red (RED) livery in support of the organization founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver in 2006 to combat the spreading of HIV. In the last three years, the Piaggio Group’s collaboration with (RED) has ensured more than one million days of treatment for the prevention of hidden transmission of the virus from mothers to children.
ALEIX ESPARGARÒ (bike no. 41): "After a weekend with a lot of crashes, I was very cautious in the race. Finishing this long season well was important and I am pleased that I managed to do that.
The track conditions were very treacherous today too. I saw other riders ahead of me crash as soon as they tried to increase the pace. Overall, finishing in the top ten is a good result for me and for the guys on the team who have worked hard all season."
ANDREA IANNONE (bike no. 29): "I am rather happy with the race today. In spite of starting from very far back, I was able to recover a lot of positions and engage in a fun battle with my teammate for the top ten. Compared to yesterday and Friday, we were able to find a good pace, although the front tyre temperature dropped quickly when I was leading the group. In the direction change between turn 9 and 10, I pushed a bit harder to defend my position and I crashed. It’s a pity about the final result, but we had a good race all the way down to the last lap."
INFO: www.aprilia.com
