The Aprilia factory in general and Andrea Iannone in particular are coming off a Dutch Grand Prix in Assen which was a good surprise. Both bikes scored points and the Italian even made a top 10. Nothing suggested such a favorable outcome given the tests and the small form of spearhead Aleix Espargaró. So, to really know where they stand, the men from Noale are counting on the Sachsenring this weekend…
Andrea Iannone made his top 10 debut with Aprilia after the Assen race. A boost of confidence for the Italian driver, accustomed to other results this season with the RS-GP. At the Sachsenring he will try to seek further confirmation before the summer vacation. “ The German track is very complicated, narrow and winding, it will be an important test for us » said the Vasto pilot. “ We are working hard on the management of electronics and on a circuit like this we will be able to evaluate our progress from this point of view ».
The goal is to have another good weekend after Assen, where Andrea Iannone started from 19th position on the grid to finish half a second behind ninth place in Jack Miller on the Pramac Ducati. “ In addition to the position, which is my best result with Aprilia, I am particularly happy with the good pace that I kept throughout the race ", said Iannone. " With a better qualification, we could have finished even better ».
While Iannone celebrated his best race of the season, his teammate Aleix Espargaró had to face a painful Grand Prix, fighting against the consequences of Montmeló's injury. “ I struggled from the start to make movements on the bike due to the injury to my left leg, which penalized our performance » declared the Spanish pilot. “ I used every muscle possible, but it was difficult to ride the RS-GP on a very physical track. After the Assen race, my knee had swollen a lot and, upon returning home, I continued my rehabilitation, the aim being to be able to drive more easily on the Sachsenring. A track on which I always felt particularly good ».
A good feeling, however, rarely confirmed by the results. His best place on this track in a race is a sixth place taken in 2014 on the Forward Yamaha. Last year, he withdrew following a heavy fall during warm-up.
