Aleix “welcomes” difficult 2024 Aprilia: “Important thing is we are faster”

Aleix Espargaro says he doesn’t care that the raft of aerodynamic updates for the 2024 Aprilia MotoGP machine make it more 'difficult' to ride.

All that matters to the Spaniard is how fast it is.

And having been the top non-Ducati with fifth at the Sepang test, then third in Qatar - when he also set a searing Sprint simulation until a fall - Espargaro is giving the new machine a warm welcome.

“It’s not an easy bike. I would say the 2024 is one of the most difficult I have had to ride, but at the same time it is more competitive. So, welcome!” he smiled.

By difficult, Espargaro means that, “Due to the downforce the bike is quite heavy.

"I don’t know if heavy is the right word, but to change direction and to throw the bike in [to the corners], sometimes if you don’t have the right grip then you have to force it so much.

“So it is not easy to understand how to do it, but at the end of the day, the important thing is that we are faster.

“I’m super-happy," he added. "It is just testing but I am enjoying a lot this year. I really like the ’24 spec bike. Malaysia and Qatar are completely different circuits, completely different grip and I’m fast.

“For the time attack I need to improve a bit but in terms of pace with used tyres I’m very strong.”

Espargaro explained that it’s difficult to pinpoint one specific area of progress, but: “The [static] weight of the bike is a bit less. The rigidity of the chassis is a bit different. The aerodynamics is completely different.

“Everything has been updated but the aerodynamics is obviously the biggest thing you can see.

“Especially in terms of stability, the bike has improved a lot. A lot. With used tyres it is a lot easier to maintain the lap time so this is very good. Just sometimes when there is not a lot of grip, it is difficult to understand how to ride the bike because you have to force it a lot more.”

Otherwise, Espargaro’s only technical concern is engine performance, while it remains to be seen how the ’24 RS-GP will perform in a 'real' race situation.

But as testing concluded it was a case so far, so good.

“If you are fast from the beginning on two completely different tracks [Sepang and Qatar] then this is positive. They don’t give points for testing but it is always important to feel good.”

The season-opening Qatar Grand Prix starts on Friday.