Have either of them been given the 2024 spec bike or is that next round ?. In any case Aprilia have no reason to favour the factory riders over the satellite riders now both factory riders are leaving to join competitors while the Trackhouse riders may both be in contention to stay.
Grid penalties need to be given. Bradl didn’t care because he couldn’t improve his position at that point.
He has very likely realised he has no chance for the title on a GP23 as you imply, and has gone from trying to win the championship mode to trying to win every race mode. The latter has always been a bad mode for him even in his best years, and one which leads to him crashing.
Trackhouse requested 2024 bikes but Aprilia was only able to deliver for one rider so Olivera got a 24 while Fernandaz got a 23 bike. While they are stuck with the engines they got they can change other parts of the bike and I'd heard that they upgraded Fernandaz to a 24 chassis, aero etc while retaining the 23 engine. How accurate the info is, who knows
This will come after this round. He’s still riding the 23 package this week.
Sure, but a 2024 spec Aprilia might have been rather helpful as well. As I said perhaps the factory riders haven’t been doing the bike justice. Were I Martin I would have been very happy with Oliveira finishing second in the sprint race for reasons beyond this season’s title race.
My personal theory is that they do realize that investing in a new tech (Carbon chassis ) will lead to some short term setbacks (Especially the front end feel, as Binder and Miller have been saying), but have determined that the long term benefits and development potential are worth the trade off.
Alonso is even more experienced, and I think that experience showed today. He was just able to deal with every challenge with aplomb. Shame for Veijer, but his time will come.I think it should be a long lap. Bradl qualified second from last anyway, a grid penalty wouldn't make much of a difference.
I wouldn't think so. Riding for a customer team Ducati could still withhold new parts from him if he were to get too close to one of the red bikes.
Didn't Oliveira have a '24 bike from the start? They must've found something this weekend.
He said he had an extended sit down with Aprilia on the changes he needed to be competitive (Suspension related) and they obliged. Also aided by the fact that some of the resources from Aleix’s box are helping him out this weekend.
I didn't see the race but I saw the weather looking out my window. No surprise they delayed the race.
