Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders Alvaro Baustita and Stefan Bradl have been showing impressive progress for the Noale factory all season, with Bautista’s P7 in Motegi the jewel in an ever-growing crown. The double top ten result in the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, another good haul of points for both riders, cemented the Italian factory’s position on the world stage - as they take on the challenge of testing alongside competing throughout the racing season. With Bautista into Q2 on a number of occasions and Motegi proving another highlight, the two Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders now head into Phillip Island and the final three races ready to keep adding to their 2016 high of progress.
Alvaro Bautista (P7): "A good race, the best result so far with Aprilia. Of course, the crashes gave us a couple of positions, but that is all part of racing. I am especially satisfied with the work done this weekend. After not having good sensations on Friday, we were able to recover, going through to Q2. We showed that we can be fast on tracks with very different characteristics: from Misano, twisting, to Motegi with a lot of hard braking and acceleration sections. This is important as it shows that we have taken a step forward on all fronts. We will try to confirm this in the coming races. I want to finish the season in the best possible way".
Stefan Bradl (P10): "I am not fully satisfied with the race today. We had the potential to aim for a better result. Unfortunately, I lost a few positions straight away at the start, whereas during the race I could not find the same feeling braking that I had yesterday in practice. Because of that, I made a few mistakes that certainly cost us a few positions. In any case, being in the top-10 is important to continue our positive trend. We worked well throughout the weekend and we want to do the same at Phillip Island as well".