MOTGP: Aprilia struggling with corner entry

Aprilia's MotoGP challenger is primarily losing ground in turn-in and straight line speed compared to its rivals, Alvaro Bautista believes.

The Italian manufacturer's RS-GP is its maiden thoroughbred MotoGP bike, last year's machine effectively a production-derived test mule, but only ran for the first time five weeks before the Qatar season opener.

The package currently lacks power and is running what Bautista says is 5kg above MotoGP's minimum weight of 157kg.

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While he acknowledges that "we need some help from the engine," the Spaniard believes that improving the way the bike turns in would represent a key step.

"We have to improve the first part of the entry of the corner," Bautista said. "The bike has to turn a little bit better, we have to find more [tire] edge grip because we are missing some grip in that zone. The grip is not good enough but I think if we can improve the entry and the mid-corner, then on the exit the traction will improve, but we will see.

"I think it is a combination [of chassis and suspension], but I think this is more from the frame and the swingarm."

Aprilia has brought a variety of new parts to grands prix and tests for Bautista and teammate Stefan Bradl to try, including a lighter swingarm at the Sachsenring.

"The bike, basically, is the same bike as we used in Qatar," Bautista said. "At that moment it is all new, so we have to discover and race-by-race we are working with the setup and changing everything. Aprilla brought some frames, some swing arms, but at the end it didn't work so well. So I prefer to stay on the standard bike.

"[At the Sachsenring] I tried the new swingarm, lighter and more flexible. I didn't find a good advantage, but I think it was due to the movement, because the movement started the same way but then it was more difficult to stop the movement especially in the downhill [section].

"So we have to check on the next track to see if we can find something positive."

Originally on Autosport.com