LAST TESTS OF THE YEAR FOR THE APRILIA RS-GP
RIDDEN BY ALEIX ESPARGARO' AND SAM LOWES

Jerez (Spagna), 25 November 2016. Final efforts for Aprilia before the winter break, three days of testing on the Spanish Jerez de la Frontera track. Aleix Espargarò and Sam Lowes were back in the saddle of their RS-GP machines, just a few days after their first contact in Valencia, for a final series of preliminary tests for the development of the bike from Veneto in view of 2017. The less than ideal weather partially complicated the job for the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, enough to force the team and riders to stop early because of the rain.

The two sides of the garage had different goals. Aleix Espargarò continued gathering data and information that will be used by the Noale Racing Department in defining the RS-GP in its 2017 configuration. The Spanish rider identified a good base on which to build from now until the next tests in Malaysia. Sam Lowes, visibly suffering after his crash in Valencia, was unable to push too hard astride his RS-GP, so he took advantage of the three days to get to know the team better, also benefiting from the comments made by his more expert garage mate. Even with the early stop, Aleix did 80 laps with his best stopping the clock at 1'39.675, whereas Sam's best time was 1'42.312 of his 50-lap total.

MARCUS ESCHENBACHER, ALEIX ESPARGARO' CREW CHIEF: GOOD SENSATIONS. "We are heading into the winter break with good sensations. Aleix confirmed what he demonstrated in Valencia, both in terms of performance and harmony with the RS-GP. We have identified a rather precise technical direction to accommodate his riding style and during the winter we will work on bringing a further advanced bike to the first tests at Sepang. The weather did not help us and we also had a crash, but we can look forward to the 2017 season optimistically".
GIULIO NAVA, SAM LOWES CREW CHIEF: IT’S IMPORTANT TO RACK UP THE MILES. "Sam is suffering from the after-effects of his crash in Valencia, but he put himself to the test anyway at Jerez to continue growing. We have a long season ahead of us, so for the moment it is important to rack up the miles in the saddle and get to know the mechanisms of the team. Despite his physical difficulties, I think these tests added another notch in the belt for Sam's apprenticeship. I'm sure that in Malaysia his potential will begin to show. We can't consider the times from these tests as any real indication".

MOTOGP 2017 BEGAN AT VALENCIA FOR APRILIA. SAM LOWES AND ALEIX ESPARGARÒ ON THE TRACK FOR THE FIRST TESTS OF THE NEW SEASON. On the track where the 2016 MotoGP Championship ended, the first tests of the new season got underway. Astride the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini RS-GP machines were Sam Lowes and Aleix Espargarò, the former making his début in the category and the latter making contact for the first time with the prototype from Veneto. For Sam, who had already tested the Aprilia RS-GP during the 2016 season on a path of gradual refinement, the tests ended early. In fact, on the first day the English rider was the unlucky victim of a crash. The violent impact with the barriers left him in pain and, although the medical checks did not show any injuries, the rider and the team preferred to suspend the test session. Sam put in 63 laps before the crash, stopping the clock at 1’33.359 on his best one. It was a good début for Aleix Espargarò, who finished with the ninth best time (1'30.885) in the combined standings for the two days, where he did 122 laps.

MARCUS ESCHEMBACHER, CREW CHIEF FOR ALEIX ESPARGARÒ: SATISFIED. “We can consider ourselves satisfied with these first tests. Aleix found a good feeling with the bike straight away, especially liking the stability and the electronics package. No particular critical issues came up and this confirms the solidity of the base package on which we will continue developing. He was fast, but more than anything, he was very analytical and precise in expressing his feelings in the saddle. This is information that will be fundamental for the racing department in developing the new RS-GP".
GIULIO NAVA, CREW CHIEF FOR SAM LOWES: A VERY FAST RIDER. "Sam is a very fast rider in his rookie year in a demanding category like MotoGP, so at the moment it is essential for him to build experience both in terms of riding the bike and the way the team works. Yesterday we set up the day to work on this, without making any drastic changes to the settings. Unfortunately, partly because of the low asphalt temperatures in the afternoon, he had a bad slide in one of the braking sections. We made the decision to stop together. In a few days we will be on the track again at Jerez and we will pick up where we left off as we approach the new season".