After finishing the MotoGP testing day in Jerez, Miguel Oliveira worked on some different solutions on the Aprilia RS-GP – some of which provided positive indications. It seems that the Trackhouse Racing rider leaves the southern Spanish track with optimism, despite finishing 15th – as expected, lap times are neither important nor relevant on a testing day.
The Portuguese rider tested a different rear unit with different feelings: ‘We tried to look for a good balance to help us stopping the bike and also try to have a good stability in the fast corners. There were some positives, some negatives. It’s really hard to work on the rear unit for us. It seems that our bike is a little bit more sensitive to this part. Some positives, some negatives, but overall it was a good information. Probably we will test it again in some other occasion’.
Asked if the positives and negatives he found are related to the downforce in the rear, Oliveira explained: ‘Once you generate downforce braking, you also generate it accelerating. Out of some corners I had a little bit more wheelie and it’s really hard to find the compromise straight away’.
On the other hand, «Falcão» tried something in the ergonomics to try to improve the braking, but he wasn’t happy: ‘We did try a possible solution and it didn’t work out. So what I have still seems for me the best compromise so far’.
Is Oliveira happier with his bike in the test day or in yesterday’s race? He replied: ‘It felt better today. I just had a big item to test at the end and I couldn’t really put everything together with a new tyre and make a lap time, because the track was super good at the end and was fast. But anyway, we carry on still with the feeling to Le Mans and I think it’s going to be another confirmation there that we took a step in the good direction’.