After two rather chilly weekends in Le Mans and Silverstone, Red Bull KTM Tech3 is now heading South of Europe to the desert of Aragón for the GoPro Grand Prix of Aragon, kicking off an exciting month of June with three Grand Prix on the menu, with Mugello and Assen next later on in the month. Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini will be excited to return to the state-of-art MotorLand Aragón race track, and bounce back from a tricky weekend at the British Grand Prix.
Grand Prix of Aragón
Maverick Viñales will be for sure looking forward to prove that the disappointing results from Silverstone were just a bump on the road on his progression with the RC16. Indeed, after three great weekends in a row in Doha, Jerez and Le Mans, the British Grand Prix proved to be more challenging for ‘Top Gun’ who faced different issues that led to missing out on Q2. He still managed to take some points on Sunday with an 11th place, but the outcome was far from the objectives set. In Aragon, a track that is normally better suited to the KTM package, the Spaniard will look to start the weekend strong on Friday to place his bike well on the starting grid to get the best chances to fight with the front guys. Enea Bastianini’s weekend in Silverstone will be one to forget after the Italian remained deadlocked without being able to improve his feeling. The additional long lap penalty he had to complete from Le Mans did not help either, so Aragon will be for sure a fresh start with a mind fully reset. Enea Bastianini won the 2022 edition, so we know MotorLand is one that he enjoys, but we will have to see how he evolves with the RC16. A key test on Monday will hopefully help the #23 to get back on his feet after a mentally difficult weekend in England.
Don’t miss out on the action from the GoPro Grand Prix of Aragon, with Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini kicking off the weekend with Free Practice 1 on Friday morning at 10:45 local time (UTC+2), followed by the key Practice session at 15:00. Super Saturday at MotorLand Aragón will be one not to miss with FP2 kicking off the day at 10:10 followed immediately by the qualifying session. Riders will then line up for the Tissot Sprint at 15:00 LT. Finally, the main show of the Aragon GP is scheduled at 14:00 on Sunday, for 23 laps.
MAVERICK VIÑALES: "Silverstone was for sure not our best weekend of the season. We had several issues all weekend, and we also understood some of our weaknesses in tricky conditions, which for us is very important, because it means that we have pointed out an area to work on to improve our package, just before the Aragon test. I have faith in our bike, and I believe that Aragon will be a good track for us, where we can keep improving. It will be important to work in the right way from Friday to try making it to Q2 and get a good starting position. Anyway, I enjoy MotorLand a lot, it will be nice to be racing at home in Spain, with family and friends, so let's enjoy this weekend!"
ENEA BASTIANINI: "Silverstone was very difficult for us, but we will reach Aragon with the motivation to do well and hopefully make those improvements we seek. In the next incoming days just before Aragon race weekend, I am going to Austria to do some specific aerodynamic tests that I hope will help us to make the progress we need, and we also have an important test in Aragon on Monday after the race to exploit. I hope KTM will help me and support with new ideas this week. I like MotorLand a lot, but at the moment we have to be realistic about our level. We are far from the others because I’m not feeling well on the bike, so we should go step by step, starting friday, and see how it goes from there. We will give our maximum, as always."
NICOLAS GOYON, Team Manager: "We have left the UK to head South this week for the GoPro Grand Prix of Aragon. Silverstone was a tricky weekend for our Red Bull KTM Tech3 team, but we believe that Aragon’s layout should suit our bike much better, especially looking at last season, since our team was on the podium in both sprint and race. This anticlockwise circuit based in Spain is a mix of long straights and hard-brakings, tight corners and acceleration on lean angles. Maverick Viñales has clearly under-performed in the UK, mostly because we missed every key moment of the weekend following several issues. We believe that it was an isolated bad weekend, and that he will carry on his progress in Aragon, where we will focus on making it to Q2 for a whole easier weekend. Enea Bastianini is finding himself in a different situation, because he simply can not feel the bike right now. Silverstone was the worst weekend of the season for him. We had a long talk with him after the race, and we will try to approach Aragon differently, with new ideas. We know he is fast on that layout, having won in 2022, and we will do everything to see the real DNA of Enea back with us. Let’s be positive, and work hard!"
ABOUT THE TRACK
An ultra-modern facility, MotorLand Aragón had its roots firmly established thanks to a solid history of street racing in Alcañiz, which hosted events between 1963 and 2003. Safety advice warning against the continuation of this led to the proposal and construction of a sporting complex dedicated to motorsport. With support from local institutions, renowned German architect Hermann Tilke was commissioned to design the facility. The circuit, which is 5.077km long and has 17 turns, was roundly praised by riders after its first Grand Prix in 2010, and it was rewarded with the IRTA Best Grand Prix of the Year award, the first time a circuit had received the prize in its debut year. Since then, this anticlockwise circuit has been one of the riders' favorites offering a versatility thanks to its mix of long straights and hard-brakings, tight corners and acceleration on lean angles. Exceptionally missing from the calendar in 2023, the Grand Prix of Aragon returned in 2024, where the historical return to winning ways of Marc Marquez following his long injury sustained in 2020 took place. Its location in the desert of Aragon gives a special vibe to this very-liked stop of the year, but also lets riders face extremely hot and dry conditions. Normally hosted in September, this year early June might be a bit milder for all.
TRACK RECORDS
All Time Record: 2024 - M. Marquez (SPA) - 1'45.801 - 172.7 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2022 - L. Marini (ITA) - 1'47.795 - 169.5 km/h
Best Pole: 2022 - F. Bagnaia (ITA) - 1'46.069 - 172.3 km/h
Top Speed: 2022 - E. Bastianini (ITA) - 354.1 km/h
