MOTOGP DÉBUT AT THE RED BULL RING
A NEW TRACK WHERE THE APRILIA RS-GP CAN BE PUT TO THE TEST
It will be a brand new circuit that hosts the first MotoGP race after the summer break. In fact, the Austrian Grand Prix will be held at the Red Bull Ring, a revamped track just a few kilometres from Spielberg bei Knittelfeld. The premier class riders had a chance to familiarize themselves with the new track during the two days of testing immediately following the German GP, assessing the decidedly particular characteristics.
In fact, it is a fast track, with steep slope changes and turns where the riders will have to slow down a lot and then take advantage of acceleration coming out of the corners. The optimum setup must therefore adapt to these circumstances, deviating quite a bit from the standards applied on most of the other tracks.
For the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini the weekend promises to be a demanding one with a bike that is making its absolute début on the Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing tracks, the RS-GP. Alvaro Bautista sized up the tricky spots on the track after the 160-plus laps he took during the tests, whereas Stefan Bradl will have a chance to take his first look at the Austrian asphalt only during the first practice sessions on Friday. In fact, the German rider skipped the tests after his crash in the Sachsenring warm up, from which he has fully recovered.