The official start of the 2017 MotoGP World Championship is just a few hours away now, under the floodlights of the Losail track in Qatar. A new season for Aprilia, with renewed motivation and above all new and important ambitions fuelled by a positive trend as the season approaches. In fact, in the winter tests, the progress of the new 2017 RS-GP was tangible. The changes planned in anticipation of the new season provided positive results and allowed an important step to be taken in terms of project development which translates into better performance for the Italian bike.

The Aprilia Racing Team Gresini is therefore ready for the new challenge. In the latest tests, right here on the Losail track, Aleix Espargaró was in grand form, able to get close to the respectable areas of the standing, fast on his flying lap and consistent with the bike on used tyres. The Spanish rider, in his first race with Aprilia, made no secret of the good feeling that was established from the very first laps astride the RS-GP and with the team that supports him.

Sam Lowes, a true rookie in the category, tackled the winter preparation period with the right does of patience, focusing on his sensations in the saddle and the riding style that the RS-GP demands. His progress has been consistent and, just in the final phases of the Qatar test (where he was on an upward trend throughout the three days), the English rookie and his team found the right basic setting to make them optimistic about the first race.