MotoGP has broken lap and/or track records at nine circuits this year – Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro tries his hand at explaining
MotoGP is getting faster and faster and seems to have reached the temporary peak of this development in 2022. Existing lap and/or track records have already been broken at nine circuits this season. In addition, new top speed records have been set on four circuits.
Where does this steep development come from, which has gained significant momentum in recent years? Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro sees a partial explanation in the numerous devices that the MotoGP manufacturers have developed in the meantime.
Ride-height devices play a big role
“The rear ride height device that we have improved … Last year, for example, I didn’t use it at all. Now I do, and it probably makes the biggest difference. It gives you very good acceleration,” explains the Spaniard.
The device lowers the rear of the bike, giving a lower centre of gravity and better acceleration. Meanwhile, MotoGP bikes have ride-height devices at the front and rear. At the very beginning of the development in 2020 was the front ride height device known as the Holeshot device.
Initially, it could only be used manually for take-off. In the meantime, the system has been working automatically for a long time and can be activated for all corners. At Aprilia – once again – a revolution is added to the RS-GP. Over the years, some of these revolutions were necessary to help the bike reach its current competitiveness.
You never forget your first @AleixEspargaro SeasonSoFar ArgentinaGP pic. twitter.com/3MvxOoMpC3
– MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) July 9, 2022
The Aprilia has changed a lot from last year, but the other bikes have not. So we are on them now, but they [the other factories] haven’t really changed the bike,” Espargaro noted. For him, the example of KTM is particularly striking. “A very interesting case,” the World Championship runner-up elaborates.
Aleix Espargaro: KTM is an interesting case
“The bike is almost the same. If you look at [Miguel] Oliveira’s lap times, they are very similar. But he won races last year, and was also up front here [in Assen]. Now they are happy if they make it through Q1. Because they couldn’t improve. It’s an interesting sight.”
“The aforementioned Oliveira still qualified directly for the second qualifying section at Assen in 2021, finishing sixth in Q2 with a lap time of 1’32.450. This year he had to take the diversions via Q1 and ultimately put his KTM in eighth place on the grid. Compared to last year, he gained 0.178 seconds.
When @AleixEspargaro miscounted the laps at the CatalanGP and slowed down one lap before the chequered flag our mind blew
But it wasn’t the first time this happened to a rider and probably it won’t be the last one SeasonSoFar pic.twitter.com/E2djKX3cfT
– MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) July 21, 2022
What is the development with Espargaro? The Spaniard set his Aprilia ninth on the grid at Assen last year, with a lap time of 1’32.666. This year he improved by 0.798 seconds at the Dutch TT, which was enough for fifth place in Q2.
His World Championship opponent Fabio Quartararo also managed to gain around two tenths of a second with a slightly modified Yamaha. How can this jump be explained? “Every rider is pushing. The young riders are very strong, plus there are many Ducatis with good teams,” Espargaro says. “The Aprilia didn’t work in the past. But it does now, and it’s in the mix at the front. “