Aleix Espargaro: “I love this new bike, but…”

Aleix Espargaro felt instantly at home on the advanced aerodynamics of the 2024 Aprilia, which allows him to ride with even more corner speed.

The Spaniard, a double race winner last season, used the extra grip from the downforce to be fifth and the fastest non-Ducati at the Sepang MotoGP test.

“The level of this [24] bike is definitely higher,” Espargaro said after day two. “Basically with the same settings and geometry of the ‘23 bike, because we didn’t have time to work on the geometry side, we dropped our times in terms of race pace and fast lap by about half a second.

“So it means the level of this bike is higher. Now we need to understand how to ride it. The aerodynamics make the bike quite different, but I like it. It helps me in corner speed, I can ride with more mid-corner because I have more stability. So I need to get used to it. But looks like potential is high.”

The downside to the downforce is the extra weight when changing direction.

“Super heavier! This is the negative thing,” Espargaro confirmed. “The bike is super heavy and physical. But what I want is to be fast. I don’t care if it’s physical. But it is – a lot!”

Agility aside, questions remain about whether, in a race situation, Espargaro might find he is unable to use his extra corner speed should he become ‘blocked’ behind a slower bike at the apex, or how the dirty air when following might affect cornering downforce.

“That’s a very good question,” Espargaro said at the end of day three. “Now in a meeting with the aero guys they gave me the same question: ‘How do you think you can manage this bike in a group. How can you stop the bike? How can you change the lines?’

“I love this bike. The character is amazing. I can ride a lot in mid-corner which is my riding style. But I think it’s not going to be easy to change direction, to fight. I have a lot of stability, which is good if you want to attempt an overtake or risk more in a corner. But the bike is very heavy.

“We’re going to see in Qatar in one month’s time…”

Aprilia arrived in Sepang with an estimated 20 different aerodynamic combinations to try.

“Basically, I already chose my [aero] package [for this season],” Espargaro said before leaving Malaysia. “[But] I already asked the aerodynamic engineers to develop a new wing that came into my mind for the rear seat.

“I think they will have it ready for the Qatar test. If I like it, it will be my last [race] package.”

Espargaro was also fifth and top non-Ducati in terms of his pace during a Sprint race simulation but remains concerned about engine performance. The Spaniard set the 13th best top speed on the final day of testing.

“I hope (we can improve). We need torque in mid-range,” he said. “The ‘24 bike is much better than the ‘23 but our weakness is the engine.

“If we want to fight with the Ducatis we need to raise the power of the engine.”

Team-mate Maverick Vinales was the next best Aprilia rider in twelfth place and, like Trackhouse rider Miguel Oliveira, is yet to feel as comfortable as Espargaro with the new machine.

The final pre-season test in Qatar takes place from February 19-20.