22 September 2024 - Maverick Viñales, after starting from the eighth spot on the grid, lost a few positions in the opening stages of the race, finding himself eleventh at the end of the second lap. In spite of this, the Spanish rider demonstrated a fast and consistent pace, comparable to that of the riders ahead of him, managing to claw his way back up to sixth place.
Aleix Espargaró, from the eleventh spot on the grid, had a good start, managing to maintain his initial position. He also maintained a solid pace throughout the race which allowed him to finish eighth.
Also noteworthy is the third Aprilia in the top ten, ridden by Miguel Olivera, Team Trackhouse, who finished the race tenth, demonstrating the progress Aprilia has made on a track which is rather complicated for the bikes from Noale.
MAVERICK VIÑALES, #12: "The race was extremely positive and I felt really good, especially in the second part, when I began to make up positions.
I also had an outstanding race pace. It was important to rediscover our speed and we managed to do that. We are leaving Misano satisfied. Sixth place is positive after the recent complicated races.”
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ, #41: "I had quite a bit of chattering for the last six laps. Since I had a good gap ahead of the riders behind me, I decided to clinch eighth place. I’m satisfied with the result, especially after the difficulties we have had in Misano. The difference from the first riders was not that huge. We were more competitive than I had expected. Especially in the first two-thirds of the race, we were rather fast.”
MASSIMO RIVOLA: “On such a sad weekend for motorcycle racing, after the death of Luca Salvadori, we wish to remember him affectionately and send his family a warm embrace. It was also wonderful to see such a big crowd this weekend, especially considering the difficulties the Romagna region is facing with flooding recently.
As for the race, we are happy that Aleix rediscovered his pace, but Maverick especially was very fast, maintaining a pace close to the podium finishers throughout the race. It’s a pity about the positions lost in the opening stages, but overall, we saw Aprilia’s speed again, although still not at the same levels as the season start. We will head to the upcoming races in Asia confident that we have found the right path.”
https://www.aprilia.com/en_EN/aprilia-world/racing/aprilia-motogp-2024-emiliaromagna-saturday
