Aprilia reveals key change that has improved its form on its weakest MotoGP tracks

Aprilia MotoGP team boss Paolo Bonora says engine braking improvements have helped the Italian brand become stronger at its weakest tracks.

The RS-GP has traditionally gone well at fast, flowing circuits over the years, with its five grands prix wins so far coming at Rio Honda, COTA, Barcelona and Silverstone.

While that strength remains, results in the recent Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix highlighted a major step forward at weaker stop-and-go tracks for Aprilia.

Marco Bezzecchi qualified on pole at the Red Bull Ring and led for much of the grand prix before finishing third, and was third at Balaton Park after qualifying second.

Bonora says Aprilia has worked on the RS-GP’s engine braking system to be stronger in the initial stopping phase of a corner.

“For sure, we prefer the flowing corners,” he told TNT Sports.

“Our bike was designed for many years for that specific track layout.

“But it seems to be that now, since Austria, and here, probably we found something, in particular with the electronics set-up, with the engine braking to avoid the locking of the rear.

“We worked a lot on that phase because we know in the acceleration phase, once we fixed the stability of the bike, and we worked on that part, now the key is to make the bike stronger in the hard braking zones - in particular in the initial phase.

“In the initial phase you gain a lot. Don’t forget, if you are able to protect yourself in that phase it’s difficult for the others to beat you or to enter inside the corner.”

That was evident at Balaton Park, where Bezzecchi was able to defend Marc Marquez twice on lap eight of 26 in the hard braking zones of Turns 1 and 5.

Aprilia continues to hold second in the standings, though KTM remains just 13 points adrift after Pedro Acosta vaulted Bezzecchi in the Hungarian Grand Prix for second.