One Aprilia MotoGP rider admits concerning bike trait remains
This weekend’s Thai GP will confirm if a worrying Aprilia trait persists
Raul Fernandez admits that Aprilia’s heat issue was still present during MotoGP pre-season testing as improvements in this area were “not enough”.
This weekend’s 2025 season-opener at Buriram is set to be run in near-40 degrees celsius temperatures.
In recent years the RS-GP has been plagued by heat dissipation issues in extreme temperatures, with it causing riders to retire from races on occasion.
Trackhouse rider Fernandez says the problem has been fixed a bit, but not enough and how the bike will be in a pack remains unknown.
“We have to work,” he said when asked about the Aprilia’s heat issue.
“I mean, I feel better but it was not enough. It is something that we need to improve.
“On the test, sometimes I felt this heat, but especially we need to know well when we are in a slipstream and when we are behind some riders.
“This is the question: how much is the hot temperature affected when you are behind riders.
“To be alone, it’s as always or maybe better. But this was not the problem before.”
No physical issues for Raul Fernandez after testing injury
Fernandez missed most of the Sepang test earlier this month when he crashed on the opening day and fractured his hand.
He was able to take part in the Buriram test, but wasn’t sure how fit he would be come the Thai GP race weekend.
On Thursday at Buriram, he revealed that he was “ready to start the season” having been able to return to a normal training regime.
“Yes, completely,” he replied when asked about his fitness.
“Since the test I feel good. The worst thing was the fitness, I couldn’t do some exercises, but the last week I was with the bicycle, I was fit.
“Now I’m on the bike I see how I was and I feel good. So, I feel fit. It was the question before coming here and now I can tell you I feel ready to start the season.”
Fernandez is Aprilia’s only full-time rider with race experience of the RS-GP and believes the 2025 bike “has more potential” than its predecessor.
“I know, but I cannot tell you,” he said about where the 2025 Aprilia is different to last year’s bike.
“The bike is quite different. I like it more. I feel like the bike has more potential, I feel more comfortable when I ride the bike.
“Overall, I see really positive things on the bike, it is nice. But we need to analyse what happens in a normal week.
“After that, step by step we need to also understand the bike more because just I had two days of testing. I didn’t have the five days of a normal rider because of my injury.
“But anyway, on the test we saw positive things. We saw also one way to work. So, happy.”
Quotes provided by Crash MotoGP Editor Peter McLaren
