Espargaro adapting to new 'super different' Aprilia engine

Aleix Espargaro has conceded getting up to speed with the new Aprilia engine configuration made it a tricky Friday at Misano while also completing a debut day with his new crew chief.

Yesterday Espargaro confirmed Pietro Caprara has been called in as his replacement crew chief, following Marcus Eschenbacher’s switch to KTM from next season, with Aprilia looking to protect its development plan from its Austrian rivals.

Along with a new crew chief Espargaro has also been working on the new engine specification which Redding gave rave reviews on from the British MotoGP.

While Espargaro has reserved his judgement on the new engine, but did underline the same power output which he feels overall remains weaker than its rivals, the Spanish rider concedes it was a challenging day adapting to the changes which left him off the pace down in 18^th place and one-tenth behind team-mate Redding.

“For the moment I don’t like the way the engine works especially going into corners as I am struggling with the engine braking and inertia going in,” Espargaro said. “It is quite different how it works so I need to adapt a little bit more and keep insisting.

“Obviously it has been a new day for me with my crew chief and I didn’t know him, I’ve only known him for the last two GPs, but it is the first time we are working together. It is super different to Marcus [Eschenbacher] who is reflective and calm guy but I like him. It is not easy for him to arrive in a moment like we are now in a factory team.

“We need time and even if I don’t have much energy I will try to be positive and to see if he can help us give us a new way to work to see if we can improve the bike.”

With either the previous specification engine or the new version expected to work as the basis for its 2019 developments, Espargaro is eager to lockdown a steady base which he feels comfortable riding.

“I tried the new engine, the goal was not to have more power, the power is exactly the same,” he said. “But it is super different. I am not getting used to this engine, I tried both sessions all new twice as I am struggling on corner entry but it is super different so we have to adjust a lot and also the engine braking which is different.

“The engine is an idea for the future engine. They know that we need more power and we have to see with this race engine or the previous season engine.”