Aprilia’s Heat Struggles Return Big Time in Malaysian Grand Prix…
Aleix Espargaro and Raul Fernandez faced intense heat issues on their Aprilia bikes during the Malaysian GP - it's a…
Luca Marini’s Malaysian Grand Prix was marked by a challenging restart and a clear need for technical adjustments that became all too obvious as the race wore on.
At his media debrief, the Italian described the heat as one of the biggest issues. “I was in good shape, but we urgently need to find ways to dissipate the heat more efficiently – I got burnt.”
The blazing temperatures weren’t just felt on the bike but significantly impacted Marini’s performance and race strategy. He explained how the “slow” pace of the race resulted from the heat and an unusually slippery track.
“Everyone was pushing hard at the start, and I lacked a bit of torque in the heat,” he noted. “It was a strange situation: you go out, wait longer than normal in the heat, and the engine temperature rises, which seems to be particularly unfavourable for us.”
Massive vibrations on his bike added another layer of difficulty, especially through the tighter corners, which turned into quite the balancing act for Marini.
“Many other riders also complained about this. It’s particularly difficult for us to ride through these two corners (T4 and T9) because we can hardly lean due to the vibrations.”
“Our tyre management wasn’t that bad in this race. But when you start from so far back, it’s almost impossible to overtake because of the aerodynamics of the bikes in front, the high temperatures on board, and the resulting lack of grip.”
“After just two corners behind another bike, the temperatures rise – in the engine, in the tyres, in your body. Everything slows down.”
With Ducati continuing to show their overwhelming strength in 2024, Marini highlighted their dominance to be an issue that needs immediate attention.
“Whenever a Ducati rider goes down and then keeps going, you know what you’re in for the rest of the race. On the straight, the two of them (Marc Marquez and Franco Morbidelli) whizzed past me like rockets, as if they were from another planet,” he remarked.
“We really need to get to a higher level and take something away from Ducati because they are completely destroying this championship.”
