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VR46’s Fabio di Giannantoniothinks a change in temperature and track conditions was crucial in favoring Aprilia during the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Ducati entered Sunday’s race in Goiania as the top contender for a win followingMarc Marquezled Giannantonio to a 1-2 finish for the Borgo Panigale brand in the sprint.

Nevertheless, the Desmosedicis never genuinely challenged for the highest position, with Aprilia’sMarco Bezzecchibursting ahead at the beginning and maintaining control of the race throughout.

Although Aprilia also won the season’s first race in Thailand three weeks prior, it was still uncertain which team would have an advantage at Goiania, a circuit that last appeared on the grand prix schedule in 1989.

The pole sitter, di Giannantonio, who ultimately came 3.8 seconds behind Bezzecchi in third place, mentioned that the increased track temperature and lower grip conditions directly benefited the RS-GP.

“Once the conditions become hot and slightly slippery, with grip levels dropping, Aprilia can still maintain pressure on the front wheel and enter corners at high speed,” he said.

I attempted to do it, but we are in much more difficulty; our front is far less stable and accurate in that regard.

Once they make this kind of entry, they gain an advantage when exiting, allowing them to maximize their exit speed. We need to focus significantly on the exit phase. We have an excellent setup for corner exits since we can always see what’s happening. I can handle the tires and make up a lot of time and positions at the end, but it’s not enough to keep up with them when the grip conditions become a bit challenging.

I believe we need to enhance our efforts to have a superior bicycle at the front.

Bezzecchi’s turnaround

Bezzecchi began the weekend with a difficult start, finishing 20th in practice due to an unexplained problem. However, after advancing to Q2 with di Giannantonio on Saturday, he managed to secure his Aprilia’s position on the front row of the starting grid.

The dash proved more difficult for the Italian, who fell to fourth position behind his teammateJorge Martin, but he completed most of the overnight adjustments to secure his fourth consecutive grand prix win.

On my end, I worked on improving every day,” he stated. “Naturally, on Friday, I found myself in a tough position, but on Saturday, we took a step forward. Even though my pace wasn’t sufficient to compete for the podium in the sprint, I made an effort to observe them. They were ahead of me, riding slightly better than I was, and I might have been pushing too hard.

I attempted to collaborate with the team to enhance the bicycle and ensure everything ran more smoothly. Later, I felt better on Sunday morning and decided, ‘Alright, I will put everything I have into trying to deliver the best race possible.’

Martin: Ducati and Aprilia are “alike”

Although Bezzecchi took the lead from the start in the grand prix, Martin’s race provided more valuable information about Aprilia’s performance in tight situations.

The Spanish competitor first fell to fifth in the competition, but later overtookPedro Acosta’s KTM, he quickly pulled in Di Giannantonio and Marquez.

As the two Ducati riders lost their line while competing for position at Turn 4, Martin seized the chance and passed both in a single move.

The 2024 world champion thinks the two motorcycles are still very similar, but agreed with di Giannantonio that the circumstances on Sunday gave Aprilia an edge.

“From my perspective, it’s the same,” he mentioned regarding Ducati and Aprilia’s speed.

It’s different because I began the weekend strongly. From the start, I had good confidence, felt comfortable on the new track, and everything seemed effortless, allowing me to progress to Q2. After that, I was quick in qualifying.

The sprint went well, but undoubtedly the Ducatis were stronger than us. On Sunday, I believe we made a slight improvement and they had a bit more difficulty, which is why it was the opposite.

However, in general, we are quite similar in terms of speed. On one day, one factor will perform better, and on another day, a different one will take the lead.

The crucial aspect is that we are genuinely concentrating on the specifics. I strive to focus on this because it is essential for progress and to simplify everything.