Aprilia wants to find a solution to the heat problems – riders are pushing for it because Thailand must not be repeated – helmet and chest area to be grilled
At the Grand Prix of Thailand, the Aprilia riders suffered from the heat generated by the RS-GP. They all complained that they could hardly breathe. Aleix Espargaro was completely exhausted after crossing the finish line. Maverick Vinales even had to retire early from the race
“Never in my life, not even in a mountain bike race! Even with injuries, I’ve never given up,” said an annoyed Vinales. “I missed the braking point three times.”
“I said to myself that I had to stop because it didn’t make sense anymore. I don’t think the engineers realized how big the problem was. I’m also trying to understand how I can cool myself down better.”
This heat build-up is not new to the Aprilia. “The problems were already there last year. Aleix and I are in good physical condition and were able to compensate for it. But it has gotten worse with the new bike,” said Vinales.
“We said in India that we had to solve this, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to finish races. And I didn’t manage it in Thailand. I hope they do something, because otherwise we’ll have to give up here again. It’s tough!”
Espargaro agrees with this assessment: “It can’t be like that again because it was very dangerous. Where is the limit? Maverick is very strong. He is one of the fittest riders in the field. I don’t want to say that I’m Superman, because I was 100 percent over the limit.”
The problem only occurs in the races. When the bike is on the grid, heat builds up in the area of the tank, which in MotoGP does not contain the fuel but electronic components
This heat then builds up, especially when the riders are stuck in traffic. Raul Fernandez emphasizes that the heat development mainly radiates to the helmet, which becomes extremely hot. In Thailand, he could not breathe on the straights when he was hiding behind the fairing.
He was only able to gasp for air when he was in an inclined position, hanging next to the fairing. “The problem is that we don’t dissipate the heat,” said the RNF rider angrily. “They have apologized to me several times. They know we have this problem.”
Aprilia is to make a change for the Malaysian Grand Prix in order to be able to cool the riders better. It was not possible to find out exactly what this measure would look like before the first day of practice.
“Today it’s very difficult to change anything because of the rules regarding the fairing,” Espargaro points out a circumstance that restricts the engineers. “I don’t know if we have found a solution yet and can modify something for Sunday.”
In Sepang, the weather could “save” the Aprilia riders, as the forecast is very changeable. Repeated rain showers could have a major impact on the weekend. “If we don’t find a solution, then I’m hoping for a flag-to-flag race,” laughs Fernandez.
Miguel Oliveira retired after just a few laps in Thailand. Even at the start of the Sepang weekend, he was not allowed to give the exact technical reason
