Power Electronics Aspar Review Valencia MotoGP Test Day 3

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The final day of post-season MotoGP tests at Valencia took place today and after the threat of showers this morning the clouds held off to allow for a productive outing from the time the track opened at 10am until its closure at 5pm. Marc Márquez was again the fastest rider on track, closing in on his pole time from Saturday with a lap of 1'30.287 compared to his record of 1'30.237. The teams and riders now take a well earned break before the 2014 preseason gets underway on the 4th February at Sepang, Malaysia.

After Hiroshi Aoyama spent the first day on track with the Aspar Team's Honda Production Racer, yesterday was the turn of his new team-mate Nicky Hayden and today both the Japanese and the American completed laps on the Honda RCV-1000R. Hayden rode until around 2:15pm whilst Aoyama stayed out until the track closed, both riders improving their lap times and their feel for the bike as they continued to build relationships with their respective crews.

Nicky Hayden  

“We only spent half a day on track today, which was the plan, but we made the most of the time available and took some positive steps from yesterday. We improved the lap time and I felt more comfortable on the bike but like I said yesterday this is still a very new project and we have a lot of work to do, in particular with the electronics. If we can learn how to get the best out of this area we will improve a lot further. We have gathered a lot of data over the past couple of days and we have some ideas where to go from here. It was important for me to have this opportunity to get to know the team and I leave here in positive mood.”

Hiroshi Aoyama  

“It has been a positive second day because we have made improvements, although we spent a lot of time this afternoon in the pit box working on the electronics. Our feeling after two days with this bike is positive but we clearly have a lot of work ahead. We need more time to get to know the bike and to set it up, especially in terms of the electronics but we have a two month break now until the next test and this will give the engineers an important opportunity to continue developing the bike.”

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Power Electronics Aspar Team Review Valencia MotoGP Test 2013

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Post-season MotoGP testing stepped up a notch at Valencia today as the number of riders on track increased from fourteen yesterday to twenty. Perfect weather conditions allowed them to ride from ten this morning until five in the afternoon without interruption, other than by a red flag at 4pm due to a crash for Michael Laverty. The three fastest times of the day were unsurprisingly set by the three men who finished on the podium on Sunday, Marc Márquez clocking a 1'30.536 followed by Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.

After Hiroshi Aoyama tested the Aspar Team's new Honda Production Racer yesterday, today was the turn of his new team-mate Nicky Hayden. With poor weather forecast for tomorrow the American did not want to waste a minute of available track time and he threw his leg over the new machine no sooner had pit-lane opened. By around 2pm he had dropped his lap times to 1.32.582 but with his 76th and final lap of the day he went even faster with a 1.32.576.

Nicky Hayden

“It was exciting to get to work with a new team and a new bike. This is a new project and there is a long road ahead but that's what makes it so interesting. I really enjoyed my first contact with the bike. There is a lot to learn and I need to build a relationship with the mechanics but I am really happy with today for a first shakedown. The team has helped me a lot and I had a lot of engineers around me all day. We can see how much work there is to do but the base is solid. We couldn't have had better conditions to ride in today. It would have been nice to finish with some stronger lap times but overall we're happy.”

Hiroshi Aoyama

“I was very excited this morning, as it was my first day with the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar Team and with a new bike. The feeling with the bike was great and very familiar to me. I felt similar with the machine to how I did in 2011, during my previous Honda ride. I am very happy to be able to start this new adventure with a new bike and team. It is only the first day and we have a long journey ahead, but this bike has a lot of potential and we have plenty of room for improvement. I am excited and I enjoyed myself a lot riding today. I still haven’t memorized all the names of my crew, but they’ve looked after me very well and made me feel comfortable. Despite this only being the opening day, the times were positive too, so hopefully from this foundation we will evolve day-by-day.”

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Power Electronics Aspar Preview MotoGP Valencia

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Whilst the MotoGP World Championship will be decided this Sunday the title of CRT Champion was tied up two races ago by POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider Aleix Espargaró. The Spaniard signs off from the team this weekend determined to score the victory that eluded him due to a crash last time out at Motegi. His team-mate Randy De Puniet is also determined to make the most of the ART bike's suitability to the Valencia circuit layout as he looks to end the season on a high and, if possible, secure the runner-up spot in the CRT Chhampionship.

Aleix Espargaró: 

“I am really looking forward to racing at home this weekend. It will be a special and emotional weekend for me because it is the end of an important era in my life, being my final race with the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar Team. I really want to say goodbye to the team with the best possible result. The bike has given us some great results over the past two years so hopefully we can produce one more. Even though we tied up the CRT championship already in Australia we have gone two races without a win now for one reason or another so the objective is clear: we want to win this one and finish the season with a smile. It is quite a tight circuit and I think that should suit us so we will be doing everything we can to make the most of our advantage and score a top result.”

Randy De Puniet: 

“I really like Valencia and it has been a good circuit for me in the past. We are in good form, my feeling with the bike over the past two races has been good and I hope this continues through to this Sunday. If we keep working in the same way we have recently then I am sure we can end the season with a good result, which is important. Normally I prefer faster circuits but there are some sections of this track that I really like and I am sure our bike will adapt well. The objective is to finish the races as the top CRT and hopefully score four more points than Colin Edwards to finish ahead of him as runner-up in the CRT championship.”

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Randy De Puniet Shows Most Competitive Side at Phillip Island

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Randy De Puniet was so happy today that he did not want to get off his bike, and by the end of the day had racked up no fewer than 45 laps. After getting back on form with his setup at Sepang last Sunday, today he began the Australian GP a good feeling from the first minute. Ninth in the morning and eighth in the afternoon, the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider closed the day 1.2 seconds off the fastest time. Conversely, his teammate Aleiz Espargaró was not as competitive as in recent rounds. The lack of feeling with the front end forced him to slow down in the opening session, and an incident with the engine of his first bike prevented him from improving in the afternoon. Nevertheless, the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider finished in thirteenth place, just over two seconds behind Lorenzo.

Randy De Puniet 

"I am very happy because today went great. Right from this morning everything worked perfectly. It’s been several races since we’ve looked so competitive, and I really enjoyed riding today. The team did a great job, and this allowed me to set good times. I believe that today the position obtained was also optimal. Besides all these satisfactions, I am happy that we have already worked with the race in mind, and it makes me very optimistic that we have been consistent throughout the day. The goal tomorrow will be to maintain the same performance level, to get prepared for qualifying and achieve the best possible position on the grid. In my opinion the new asphalt is very good with fewer bumps, and that increases our sense of security. Phillip Island is one of the best circuits in the world and with this new surface is even better."

Aleix Espargaro

"The truth is that today the day did not go as expected. In the first session I did not feel comfortable on the bike, so we planned some changes for the second session. We tried to improve the feel of the front end, in order to allow us to brake later. At the start of the afternoon we had an issue with the engine that forced us to go out on track with the second bike, but the feeling was different so I did not go as fast as intended. Today we had a repeat of what happened last season; the first day at Phillip Island was a strange one for us."

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Aleix Espargaro Ready to Continue CRT Leads in Misano

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Aspar rider Aleix Espargaró showed no signs of weariness during the recent triple-header, finishing as the top CRT at Indianapolis, Brno and Silverstone. It is a run he is determined to continue at Misano, a circuit that should also allow him to reduce the gap to the prototype machines. The Spaniard currently lies tenth overall in the championship on 68 points, a tally he is keen to add to this Sunday

Aleix Espargaró: 

“We have been through an intense period of races and to be honest it was nice to spend a few days at home to disconnect. I haven't exactly been resting because I competed in the Barcelona 24 hour car race but mentally I was able to recharge my batteries and get ready for Misano. I am really looking forward to racing there after being at circuits recently where we have been losing out a lot to the prototypes, like Silverstone or Brno. I am sure that things will be closer at Misano, which is a fun track and a place where I have good memories from the last few seasons. As always our objective will be to do our jobs to the best of our ability and continue to be the leading force in CRT.”

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Randy De Puniet Wants to Repeat Last Year Memory at Misano

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After working hard to solve a host of set-up problems over the last three races Randy De Puniet is confident that he and his team found a way forward at Silverstone and even though the Frenchman wasn't able to show his best form in the race there he has renewed optimism for Misano, a track that saw him finish as the top CRT twelve months ago.

Randy De Puniet: 

“I like Misano a lot. It's not a long circuit but it is quite technical. We had an interesting weekend there last year, when I finished as the top CRT, so hopefully we can find the same feeling with the bike this weekend and finish with another good result. At Silverstone We found some solutions to the problems we'd been having in previous races and although the last three races have not gone to plan we will continue to work with the same intensity and sooner or later our hard work will be rewarded. There are six races left and I want to give my best in every one of them to make sure we finish the season in the right way.”

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Espargaro and De Puniet Want to Raise Performance at Silverstone GO

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Whilst the trans-Atlantic summer trip to Laguna Seca and Indianapolis wasn't a particularly fruitful one for the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar Team the return to Europe seems to have been of benefit. Aleix Espargaró bounced bad from a bad Saturday to rediscover his best form in the Czech Republic on Sunday, blowing away his CRT rivals and breaking back into the top ten overall. The Spaniard heads to the UK with 62 championship points and lying tenth in the current standings. A solitary point was enough to satisfy Randy De Puniet in the Czech Republic but it was more the manner of how he achieved it that had the Frenchman smiling. After solving a bunch of set-up issues at Brno, Randy is now looking forward to showing what he is really capable of at Silverstone.

Aleix Espargaró: “Sunday's race was tough but interesting and it was important for us to be competitive again ahead of a tough run of races. Now we go to Silverstone, a wonderful circuit that I love but being realistic we know we are going to struggle again. It is a really long track and we are at a disadvantage compared to the prototype bikes but to be honest we shouldn't be worrying about them anyway. We just need to focus on improving every day and raising our own level. Of course the team and myself will be giving 100% to be as close to those factory prototypes as we can possibly be.”

Randy De Puniet: “In the end at Brno we finally found the way forward with the vibrations and grip problems we were having throughout the weekend. The key was a front suspension change that we made in qualifying. The current situation is not easy for the team or myself because we are not performing to the level we expect. But hopefully the step forward we made at Brno can help us raise our game at Silverstone. I can't wait to fully get my feeling for this bike back and feel competitive again. It is a fast track with a lot of bumps and the weather isn't always the best in England so we have to work hard and be prepared for anything.”

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Aleix Espargaro Thirteenth on Brno Grid After Qualifying Crash

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Cal Crutchlow sounded a warning signal with the quickest time by a comfortable margin in free practice this morning and the British rider backed it up with a pole record lap in qualifying this afternoon at Brno. There was little to separate the top seven riders on the grid however and it promises to be an interesting race here tomorrow, with Alvaro Bautista and Marc Márquez completing the front row.

As close as the lap times were at the front of the grid the battle between the CRTs was equally tight. POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar Aleix Espargaró was forced to contest Q1 on his second bike after a crash just moments earlier in FP4 and even though he pushed hard to finish in the top two and progress to Q2 he finished two tenths of a second short, qualifying thirteenth. The Spaniard heads up a fifth row that also features his team-mate Randy De Puniet, the Frenchman overcoming the traction problems that have dogged the team in recent races but still suffering with front-end chatter that limited his progress.

13th Aleix Espargaró 1.58.378: “We had to spend this morning's session setting up the new engine in our number one bike and it wasn't easy but the mechanics worked against the clock to get things working. The pace is very fast this weekend and we are further away from the official prototypes than usual but that is to be expected at such a long and demanding circuit. We didn't make things any easier for ourselves with a crash in the final free practice this afternoon and even though I wasn't hurt we had to use the second bike for qualifying. I pushed as hard as I could to make it into Q2 but we fell two tenths short. We have work to do to try and be the top CRT tomorrow, just like Indianapolis.”

15th Randy De Puniet 1.58.953: “I am satisfied because we managed to solve the problems we've been having lately with the traction control. We are still lacking grip in some sectors and suffering chatter on the front in a few corners which is costing me some corner speed. The team worked hard and tried some different configurations, which helped us in certain parts of the track but not others so we need to try some more things in warm-up tomorrow.”

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Aleix Espargaró and Randy De Puniet kick off Czech round with a productive opening day's work

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The Czech Republic Grand Prix got underway at the Brno circuit today with some new names on the entry list,  Martin Bauer competing as a wildcard and Michele Pirro stepping in to replace the unfortunate Ben Spies. This is traditionally known as a 'Yamaha circuit' and that proved to be the case for much of the day as Jorge Lorenzo dominated the timesheets, only to be denied the best lap time of the day by a late effort from Honda's Stefan Bradl that was 0.038 seconds quicker than the World Champion.

POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider Aleix Espargaró predicted that this would be a difficult circuit for him and his ART package but the Spaniard was a mere 1.7 seconds shy of Bradl's pace today, despite losing time this morning due to an electronic problem. Aleix was twelfth fastest today but is hopeful of making up a couple of positions in tomorrow morning's third free practice, which would qualify him directly to Q2. Randy De Puniet was twentieth fastest today but the Frenchman was smiling again after his troubles at Indianapolis last weekend. After finding solutions to the traction control issues he was having in America, De Puniet is now looking forward to stepping up his pace tomorrow.

12th Aleix Espargaró 1.58.217 (26 laps):
“We had some problems with the electronics this morning that stopped us from completing as many laps as we would have liked but I am happy because the team did a great job to solve them and the response of the bike was much improved in the afternoon. We are still a long way off Q2 pace but to lap 1.7 seconds off the pace of the best time at such a fast circuit is a good start for us. The results haven't been as spectacular in the last few races as they were in the early stages of the season but our motivation to remain as the reference point in CRT could not be higher. We have to stay focused and do our jobs right if we want to continue closing the gap to the prototypes.”

20th Randy De Puniet 1.59.799 (31 laps):
“Today we continued working to improve the traction control system after all the headaches it has given us lately. We worked with both bikes today and it seems like the second one was a little better. We have a few vibrations to iron out at this track and worked with some different tyre compounds to that end today. In the afternoon my feeling with the bike improved a lot and we'll hopefully be able to keep working in the same direction tomorrow.”

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Aleix Espargaró and Randy De Puniet head for Brno looking to improve on American outing

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After back-to-back races in the USA at Laguna Seca and Indianapolis either side of a month-long summer break the MotoGP World Championship returns to Europe this week for the eleventh round of the season in the Czech Republic. It is the second leg of a triple-header that sees the series move on to Silverstone the following week and it takes place at one of seven tracks on the calendar to measure longer than 5km. Brno is well known for its length and width but also for its beauty, located in thick forests and following the dramatic natural topography of the land. Marc Márquez returns from the USA as a race winner for the third time this season and now it is up to Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa to react as the youngster threatens to disappear at the top of the championship.

POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar Team riders Aleix Espargaró and Randy De Puniet are looking forward to returning to Europe after a difficult couple of races across the Atlantic. After crashing out at Laguna Aleix was back to being the first CRT across the line at Indianapolis but he was frustrated that he wasn't as competitive as he had been at recent races such as Assen or Sachsenring. On the other side of the garage Randy continues to search for a comfortable set-up with his ART machine and he is determined to get back to the form he showed last season as soon as possible.

Aleix Espargaró:
“I really like the Brno circuit but if we are realistic we know it doesn't really suit the characteristics of our bike very well. With so many long straights and fast corners we will definitely lose out more than usual to the factory prototypes but we will work as hard as we can anyway to be in the best possible shape for the race. Hopefully it is a more straightforward weekend than Indianapolis without any setbacks. We haven't had much chance for a rest but I have done my best to try and get over the injuries I picked up on Saturday and now I am looking forward to getting back on the bike, having fun and trying to get back to the level we know we can perform at.”

Randy De Puniet:
“The last round was a tough one for us and we were hoping to kick off the second half of the season with a better result but ran into a lot of problems. Luckily the team worked tirelessly to solve them and we were in good shape for the race but we ran out of luck and couldn't finish. So the next race in the Czech Republic is an opportunity for us to turn the page quickly and do whatever it takes to flip the situation around. I really like Brno, I know I can be fast there and I will work to make sure that's the case.”

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Aleix Espargaro Continues Positive Work at Post Race Test in Catalunya

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Despite the intense heat at the Circuit de Catalunya on Monday, no rider was in the mood for an early departure. Besides the Honda factory riders and an isolated number of the MotoGP field, almost the entire grid was out on track for post-race testing at the Spanish circuit. It was an opportunity to try out things that time had not permitted during the race weekend, and the track was open from 10am until 6pm for hard work. The times were mostly slower than on the weekend –understandably given that the day was devoted to trying out new things. Jorge Lorenzo was the fastest rider, followed by Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl. Aleix Espargaró was seventh quickest.

Yesterday he finished eighth and was once again the best CRT finisher by far. However, Aleix Espargaró was disappointed that he had not been able to enjoy the race as much as other contests. To leave a better taste in his mouth, the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider undertook a day of testing today, and did not want to waste a single minute of it. Today he worked with three different frames, in order to compare his feeling with each of them and pick the direction to take between now and the end of the season. He also worked with the new front forks debuted on Friday, in order to set them up and confirm that they provided a boost in front end stability. With the rear he adjusted the setup to make the chassis easily adjustable to any type of tyre compound. Exhausted after 63 laps and eight hours of uninterrupted riding, Espargaró concluded the test very satisfied with his showing and having taken three-tenths of his best time from the Catalan GP weekend.

7th Aleix Espargaró 1.42.537 (63 laps): "I am very pleased. I think that the test today was by far the most productive I’ve had since I've been on this team. We tested three different chassis, so we have collected a lot of data that has allowed us to compare all the material we have available. We have not stopped working today. This day of testing has helped us to determine which bikes we shall use from now until the end of the season. Although we have taken very good conclusions from the test, it is clear that we must continue working with the same intensity as always. I think we can still improve our confidence with the front, and I’m sure that our cornering will be faster when we get this down. I am very happy with everything that we have worked on, and we've improved upon our best time of the weekend -plus we were six-tenths off the fastest rider. You can’t ask for much more than that.”

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Aleix Espargaro Takes Best Result of the Season in Mugello

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The hills of Mugello were packed on Sunday for their annual installment of MotoGP action. The track has seen many memorable moments in its history, and did so again today. Jorge Lorenzo’s overtake on Dani Pedrosa on the second corner was one, as was the crash between Álvaro Bautista and Valentino Rossi which eliminated the home rider from proceedings at Turn 3. Lorenzo broke away on lap twelve and took victory after 23 laps, whilst behind him Pedrosa and Marc Marquez had diced for second. Marquez crashed out after moving ahead of his teammate, and Cal Crutchlow was thus thrust into third place alongside the two Spaniards. 

Aleix Espargaró cut a happy figure as he got off his bike, relieved with how the Italian Grand Prix developed. The Spaniard was once again the fastest CRT rider, and by some distance. He needed to race his second bike after his main machine failed to start for the formation lap. After staving off the initial nerves, the POWER ELECTRONICS rider undertook a brilliant race, after a good start. He rodeo n his own for most of the contest, finishing in eighth place and crossing the line just 39 seconds behind the race winner. The race position was the joint best ever for a CRT in MotoGP, along with his own result from last year at Sepang.

Randy De Puniet began the day with a crash in the morning warmup session, which affected his plans. The Frenchman lost confidence with his front end, but was able to take his bike home in eleventh. 

8th Aleix Espargaró: 

"When you finish a Grand Prix weekend, there are some races that you like more than others. I think today, along with Jerez, has been the best of the season so far. When I went out for the formation lap my bike would not start, which made me very nervous because I had to race with my second bike. Thankfully, Jorge was able to help calm me down. I started very well and saw that my pace was similar to that of Bradl and Hayden, which gave me a boost. I gradually upped my pace and managed to cross the line just 39 seconds behind the winner. I think that is a praiseworthy return at this circuit, which is very long. I pushed very hard throughout the race, and whilst the tyres allowed it I could set some 1’49s –although from lap 10 onwards I had to drop the pace slightly.  I never tire of repeating that I'm very happy with this team, I’ve spent two seasons at POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar and it is a team that is professional but like a family. This is the basis of all our successes. I think we are near the limit of this bike, so we will continue working to see how much further we can go with it."

11th Randy De Puniet:

"This morningin the warmup session I suffered a heavy crash after losing the front -and without knowing why I went down. That made me lose feel when cornering. I started the race with great caution, not wanting to crash again. It was hard to turn the bike in, I had no feeling with the front and had to ride gently to avoid any nasty surprises. It was a shame, because throughout the weekend I had felt quite comfortable. Now we will look at the telemetry to see where our weaknesses have been. I am convinced that it must be something insignificant, but today it really hindered us. Fortunately, despite riding with caution we achieved a very positive result."

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Aleix Espargaró looks to continue CRT dominance at Mugello

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The fifth round of the MotoGP World Championship takes place in Italy this weekend with Dani Pedrosa (two), Marc Márquez and Jorge Lorenzo (one apiece) having shared the victory spoils so far. Now is the moment for Valentino Rossi to see if he can become the fourth winner of the season in his home Grand Prix. Mugello is one of the most legendary circuits on the calendar, twisting its way through a magical valley that hums to the beat of the tifosi on the most important weekend on the Italian motorcycling calendar. 

POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar riders Aleix Espargaró and Randy De Puniet may be from Spain and France respectively but the Mugello round is one that they always look forward to, as much for the fast corners and elevation changes that make this track so special as their own happy memories of past races here. Aleix remains the man to beat in the CRT pack having again dominated with an iron fist in difficult conditions last time out at Le Mans. Randy enjoyed a fantastic weekend in his home Grand Prix up until an unfortunate crash in the race but he is hoping the progress he made during practice can be the springboard to an improved performance and a better result this weekend. 

Aleix Espargaró: 

“I am looking forward to racing at Mugello, a circuit I love. It is fast and not too dissimilar to Barcelona, which is my favourite track. It is one of the best tracks you can wish for on a MotoGP bike because it is long, wide, with all kinds of corners and a lot of grip. Practice went well for us here last year and we were quite close to the factory bikes but I ran off track in the race, lost a lot of time and was unable to catch up with my team-mate. I didn't manage to finish as the top CRT at Le Mans last year I either but this year we turned it around so let's see if we can do it again. Hopefully I can continue to dominate in CRT. I always enjoy coming to Mugello and I hope we take more good memories from this season. It sounds like they have had a lot of rain there lately so hopefully we get some good weather and enjoy another fantastic weekend.” 

Randy De Puniet: 

“We finally managed to get a feel for the bike at Le Mans and after working hard during the first three rounds of the season I felt competitive again. It was just a shame that I had a problem with my helmet and I ended up crashing so we couldn't round off a positive weekend at my home Grand Prix. Now I am already looking forward to Mugello, a circuit I love and have a lot of good memories from. Last year I finished as the top CRT here and now I go full of confidence on the back of a good weekend last time out, even though it didn't finish with the right result. Now I am sure we can pick up in the right way in Italy and have another good weekend.”

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Aleix Espargaro Banks a Hot Lap in Case of Rain at Le Mans Day 1

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POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider laps tenth fastest to secure Q2 qualification if tomorrow's FP3 is wet whilst his team-mate De Puniet is thirteenth at home track

Not only has the new MotoGP qualifying format intensified the track action on a Saturday but today's free practice sessions at Le Mans showed how it can provide extra entertainment even on a Friday. With local weather forecasts predicting rain tomorrow the teams and riders were keen not to waste a single second today as they banked fast laps in order to secure automatic qualification for Q2, which is reserved for the top ten riders on the combined free practice timesheets. There was close action at the top of the order too, Dani Pedrosa setting the pace but with Márquez, Rossi and Lorenzo all within 0.166 seconds of the Spaniard.

POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider Aleix Espargaró met his target, securing the tenth fastest time to guarantee qualification for Q2 should the forecasts be correct. Once again he was the fastest CRT rider on track but even more impressive is the fact that he is only a second off the pace of Pedrosa. Four tenths and three positions further back was his team-mate Randy De Puniet, the Frenchman hoping for continued dry weather tomorrow as he targets front end improvements on his ART machine. 

10th Aleix Espargaró 1.35.045 (36 laps): “I am really happy with the job we have done on this first day because in recent years Le Mans hasn't been a good track for me. Last year I was two seconds behind Randy in qualifying but this year we have started out really well. You need to get the bike stopped here because there are so many hard braking zones but we have found a good compromise with the bike in this area this season. I am happy because we are well prepared in case it rains tomorrow. If it does then we will go straight through to Q2. There are a lot of second gear corners here and we need to play around with the ratios a little bit to get the setting just right but we are on the pace, things are going well and we don't want to start wasting time by making unnecessary changes.”

13th Randy De Puniet 1.35.447 (40 laps): “I am still not happy with the feeling from the front end but we have worked well here and moved things forward. I am struggling to get the bike stopped and turned into the corners without running wide but if we can improve in this area there are a few tenths there for us. It is really important here to have good confidence under braking. We have also had some rear grip issues this morning but managed to sort them out and now we just need better feel from the front because there are five corners where it is costing us time.”

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Aleis Espargaro the CRT Pace Setter as Randy De Puniet Prepares Home Challenge

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The MotoGP World Championship is gathering pace as the European road trip moves north from Spain to France this weekend and the paddock sets up at one of the most legendary venues on the entire calendar: Le Mans. With a race every two weekends between now and the end of July, when Laguna Seca signals the start of the summer break, it is an intense period for the teams and riders. The Bugatti circuit plays host to the fourth round of eighteen with three different race winners aiming to become the first to double up, Dani Pedrosa having followed in the footsteps of Losail and Austin winners Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Márquez last time out at Jerez.

Outside the top three in the championship Aleix Espargaró continues to be the standout rider, the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar man breaking the mould on the ART machine to compete regularly with factory MotoGP prototypes. The Spaniard is the indisputable leader of the CRT category after three races and a clear favourite to retain the title he won last year. Randy De Puniet is aiming to make life difficult for his team-mate having also made a strong start to his season, which was scuppered by a crash last weekend at Jerez. The Frenchman is targeting a return to form in his home Grand Prix, where he wants to finish as the top CRT and close the gap to Aleix in the championship.

Aleix Espargaró: 

“We have started the championship in a great way and I am super happy with the way things are going. We keep closing the gap to the factory prototypes and that's a good sign, it shows we are doing a good job but our job is to be the best CRT. So far we are doing our job well and we have to keep working at it because there is no doubt that our rivals will close the gap. Le Mans is not one of my favourite tracks but I don't dislike it either. Last year was a bit strange because of the weather but it was the weekend when we found our base wet set-up and after that I always had a great feeling in the wet. Le Mans has a lot of hard braking and acceleration zones, which is where we suffer compared to the factory prototypes, but we will keep working hard and giving our best anyway.”

Randy De Puniet: 

“This is my home race and Le Mans is always a very special weekend for me. We crashed at Jerez and didn't manage to finish the race and even though we haven't made a bad start to the year in general it has been below our expectations so hopefully we can turn things around this weekend. The results in the first two rounds were good but I am still not riding at the level I feel I can ride at so I will be aiming to do that this weekend with the support of the fans. We will start out with our base set-up on Friday and try to adapt it to the hard braking at Le Mans, which is a circuit that requires good stability and handling.”

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Aleix Espargaro and Randy De Puniet to Start on Fifth Row

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Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró, just missed out on Q2 having been knocking on the door in free practice and Q1. Narrowly missing out on making it through to Q2 for the third time Aleix is nonetheless satisfied with his set-up for another strong race on Sunday. A light crash in the morning did not prevent him from improving in every session and the Catalan rider is ready to push for best CRT finish in the race for the third time this season. Unlike at Austin, Randy de Puniet is much closer to his teammate this weekend and despite the grip problems affecting all the riders the Frenchman was able to get within four tenths of Espargaro. At a circuit he loves De Puniet will go out full gas on Sunday to fight for CRT top spot.

13th Aleix Espargaró 1.40.085: 

“Yesterday I was hoping I’d make it through to Q2 today. This morning we were close to qualifying but I made a mistake and crashed which cost me time. I gave it my all in Q2 but it was tough, as it was so hot and the bike was really sliding. I just missed out but I’m not worried because we have great pace and our set-up feels good for the race. The heat will make the race seem long and we have to be sure to avoid errors. The track was greasy this afternoon and having seen so many crashes we need to be careful tomorrow in the race.”

15th Randy De Puniet 1.40.466: 

“Track temperature is really affecting our work, but we adapted well and luckily didn’t struggle as much as some others did. I was close to Aleix in lap times and I followed him on some sectors. He went through some of the fast corners quicker than me but I was able to stay quite close. We’re getting some chatter perhaps due to the heat, but we’re going in the right direction if we’re close to Aleix’s times. We will make some adjustments in warm-up and I think we can fight with Aleix during the race. I’m not that happy with my grid slot but I’m gaining more and more confidence. We need to be patient but ready to ponce when we can.”

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Aleix Espargaro Places in Top Ten at Jerez Practice

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Once again, POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider Aleix Espargaró was close to the best practice times. Today in Jerez he was just 1.1 seconds off the fastest time of the day, ahead of four riders on ‘official’ bikes. In a rarity, Espargaró was not the fastest CRT rider, missing out by just two thousandths of a second. However, his overall pace was the best of the CRT competitors. He expects further improvement tomorrow, in order to go straight through to Q2.

Teammate Randy De Puniet was only three tenths slower, but concluded the day in fifteenth position. The Frenchman was pleased with his work on a day in which he put in some 40 laps. Hoping to improve rear grip tomorrow morning, his aim is to catch up with Espargaró and kickstart his fight to be the best CRT rider of the weekend.

10th Aleix Espargaró 1.40.738 (28 laps): "This first day has been very positive, I found a great feeling and confidence. Today I was not the fastest CRT rider and I always like to be ahead, but I am calm because we could see that we had a better pace than the rest.  Although we were pipped to the best time by two thousandths of a second over one lap, our pace is better overall. The important thing is that we have a great pace and that the bike works perfectly. We lacked a bit of grip on the rear, the bike was sliding out a little, but I guess it's normal on the first day with the track not yet in perfect condition. We finished 1.1 seconds off the fastest time and I'm happy with this. Tomorrow we will have to keep working hard in the morning session and it would be great to go directly into Q2. This afternoon we made ​​a change to the swingarm but it was not as productive as we expected, so tomorrow will take a step back."

15th Randy De Puniet 1.41.078 (40 laps): "We did a great job and I am satisfied with that side of things, but seeing my name in fifteenth position is something I do not like so much. I think we could be higher up the order. In the end I finished three tenths off the best CRT time, so as far as times are concerned we are going well, but here everything is very tight. Today we found a good chassis setting, the feeling was really good with both the front and the rear. Yet at some points of the track the bike was still sliding a lot. I think we lost time due to this, so we will work to eliminate the excess sliding. Tomorrow we will try to improve rear grip. We also tested various tyres; with this heat I guess that we will use the soft in the race, but we will have to see how it performs towards the end of the race. The hard rubber is more reliable here, but it slows us down too much."

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Aleix Espargaro Hopes to Continue Form on Jerez

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The legendary Jerez circuit welcomes the MotoGP World Championship to Europe this weekend as the third round takes place on familiar territory following a trip into the unknown in Texas. A new name was added to the winners' list at the Grand Prix of Americas, that of Marc Márquez, who arrives at his home race as joint leader of the championship alongside Jorge Lorenzo, winner of the opening round in Qatar. This weekend the pair will do battle for honours at their country's 'Cathedral' of motorcycle racing, Jerez.

It is a case of so far so good for the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar team, who have dominated the CRT challenge in each of the opening rounds in Qatar and Texas. Aleix Espargaró and Randy De Puniet have not only finished first and second respectively, they have closed the gap significantly to the factory MotoGP prototypes and already look like being a difficult pairing to beat for the rest of the CRT riders in 2013.

Aleix Espargaró: 

“At last Jerez is here! The opening two races of the season went well but I was looking forward to getting back to Europe and I can't wait for our first home race of the season. We have done a great job so far and our goal is to keep this going. We have qualified for Q2 at both of the opening two rounds and finished as the best CRT, closing the gap to the factory prototypes, and our goal is to continue in the same way.I have great memories of Jerez from last season and we will do all we can to have a similar weekend. We are already close to finding the limits of this bike in terms of what we can get out of the set-up but we will keep trying to improve what we have.”

Randy De Puniet: 

“I am looking forward to getting to Jerez, a circuit where we have always been very competitive. I love the atmosphere, the layout and the context that the Grand Prix takes place in. We did a good job here during winter testing despite the fact that the weather wasn't good and I have always had a good feeling at Jerez so I am sure that will continue this weekend and allow us to challenge for a good result. We have had some set-up issues in the first couple of rounds but thankfully we've been able to sort them in time for the race. This weekend we want to have a clear idea from the start of the weekend and give Aleix a challenge on Sunday. Jerez is a very technical circuit with a combination of fast and slow corners so we will need to get the bike turning well. Either way I am feeling relaxed because our bike has always worked well there.”

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Aleix Espagaro Secure Ninth Position on Grid with Great Performance

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Once again today at Austin the new MotoGP qualifying format worked brilliantly as spectators enjoyed the show and the riders gave it their all throughout every minute of both sessions. The pace was frenetic in Q1 as the riders went in search of those valuable last two slots for the second session. Although the battle for pole seemed to be an exclusive affair between Márquez and Pedrosa, elsewhere there were plenty of intriguing contests going down. Ultimately Marquez would emerge with the top spot and the rookie is favourite to win Sunday’s race, with an all Spanish front row completed by Pedrosa and Lorenzo. The three titans all chase one crown. The tight times mean the race is hard to call, but Marquez appears to have the edge.

What seems far more obvious is how likely Aleix Espargaró is to be the top CRT, after his excellent ninth place grid finish. The POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider appears to have no limits, repeating his Qatar feat of making it through to Q2 with ease. Setting the fastest Q1 time took him through to play with the big boys. In the final 15 minutes of MotoGP action on Saturday the Catalan set down a superb 2’05.389 marker, a time which would see him take ninth on the starting grid – just 0.009s off Rossi in eighth. From the third row he will try to fight with the Factory riders but his main objective is to stay ahead of the CRT pack. His main rival in that battle is likely to be his teammate Randy De Puniet. The Frenchman was one of the stronger riders in Q1 and almost made it through to the later session with his colleague, a hard braking corner on a flying lap just hindering him. Randy is constantly improving at the American circuit and hopes to fight for top CRT spot on Sunday.

9th Aleix Espargaró 2.05.389: 

“I’m really satisfied with the way things turned out in qualifying today and in the last half hour of practice I did a ten lap race simulation on used tyres. That went really well and I felt so smooth, with an incredible pace in the low 2’06 region, which was very good. Then in qualifying I was able top ut in some realy fast times with an almost empty tank and the job we’re doing is great, to be so close to the official bikes. With the chassis we have an almost perfect set up and that means I can ride confidently. I’ve been working with this team for a year and a half now and the teamwork is amazing, we’re getting the absolute maximum from our material. I usually like faster circuits but with this bike I’m able to ride well on hard braking sections here. The first five laps will be crucial in the race and I don’t want to let the factory bikes get away. Although they are fighting a different battle we will aim to be on top in the CRTs.”

14th Randy De Puniet 2.07.129: 

“In final free practice I tried my second bike and was happy with the way I was riding. Throughout the day corner entry was getting easier, the balance is improving and I’m turning much better. I really pushed to try and make Q2 but just overdid it and rode off line. That was a shame as I think I could have improved. Overall I’m pleased with the progress made throughout the weekend and I’m gaining confidence. We’ll work on braking during the warm up. Aleix is riding so well, but I’m going to try and catch him as best CRT.”

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Aleix Espargaro and Randy De Puniet Hope to Continue as Top CRT at Austin

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The MotoGP riders this week head to another circuit with an enormous potential for thrilling top speeds. At the new Circuit of the Americas they will have a 1200 metre home straight –the longest on the MotoGP calendar- on which to open the throttle of their powerful machines. Only a few riders tested at the US track during the winter, so it will be a surprise for most. Designed by Hermann Tilke, the Circuit of the Americas is one of a select group of tracks over 5km in length, and one of the few shared with Formula 1 -alongside Montmelo, Silverstone and Sepang. The USA now hosts three events, at the Circuit of the Americas, Laguna Seca and Indianapolis, placing the country second for most races behind Spain (with four). The recent race in Qatar's set the scene for what should be a fantastic season of action.

In almost a mirror image of last season, the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar riders were again the best CRT competitors at the opening round in Losail. Aleix Espargaró imposed himself on the CRT standings throughout the entire weekend, clocking similar times to the MotoGP riders in practice and qualifying. On the Sunday he finished as best CRT rider in the race. Randy De Puniet took longer to find a good feeling with his bike, but in the warm-up session he showed great improvement and in the first half of the race he was a tough rival for teammate Espargaró. The Frenchman finished as second best CRT rider. Both POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar riders head to Circuit of the Americas determined to continue as frontrunners.

Aleix Espargaró: 

"I can’t wait to start the GP of the Americas, at a circuit that will be new to everyone –or at least for the CRT riders. I like the feeling of arriving at a new track, at which you must find your reference points. We will have to take it easy in the first practice to avoid any nasty surprises, but hopefully we can continue from where we left off at Qatar. I am very satisfied with the manner in which we started the championship. The only thing we could have improved was the start of the race. During the race I found it hard to match my times from practice. I believe that we must work with a full tank of fuel in order to match up the practice pace with that of the start of the race. We are only one GP into the season and we are already adapting well to the ART 2013, which is a good sign that we are doing things right.”

Randy De Puniet: 

"I look forward to getting to the Circuit of the Americas and getting back riding again. I have seen footage of the F1 race there and it seems like a really interesting track. Riding there will be a new experience for everyone, except for the factory riders. All the CRT guys will be debuting there, so we will all start with the same conditions. In general I tend to be a rider who quickly adapts to any environment, so I am calm. I’m sure it will be an exciting weekend. In Qatar we started out a little lost, we struggled to find a good feel, but in the end we picked things up. Only a small mechanical problem prevented us from fighting with Aleix right up until the last lap. I hope that next weekend we can again fight to be the best CRT."

Power Electronics Aspar Press Release

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