The 2024 RS-GP turned heads when the covers came off it at the Sepang test at the start of February courtesy of its radical aerodynamic concept.
The bike continued to make headlines as Espargaro finished fifth in Malaysia and third at the Qatar test.
Espargaro won two grands prix in 2023 on his way to sixth in the standings and already feels the 2024 RS-GP is “better everywhere” over a lap.
However, he cautioned that the bike is still missing horsepower compared to the Ducati, which is particularly noticeable in qualifying trim.
“We are in a higher level than what I expected before we started the pre-season, after the two tests,” Espargaro said.
“[We’ve tested at] two completely different tracks and we’ve been fast. The Aprilia is better everywhere; we just need to improve the bike in the engine side.
“We need more torque, more power, especially for the soft tyre because it looks like we are on the limit. We cannot extract more from a soft tyre. So, for Saturdays we’re going to struggle.
“But in terms of the race pace with the medium tyre, it’s been amazing. We flew. I’m very happy.
Source: Autosport