Aprilia withdraws new MotoGP clutch system after rival complaint
Maverick Vinales lamented on Thursday at the Malaysian Grand Prix that he could no longer use the latest starting system introduced by the Noale brand. "That is hurting us. But I can't say anything more," the Spaniard limited himself to saying. Asked afterwards by Aleix Espargaro, his team-mate, put his foot in his mouth: "Did Maverick say that? We can't talk about this subject," he replied when asked by Motorsport.com. The answer given by all Aprilia sources consulted was the same: "We have been forbidden to talk about this". However, Motorsport.com can confirm that a complaint from a competing manufacturer has forced Aprilia to stop using, since the Australian Grand Prix, the latest clutch specification incorporated into the RS-GP. This system helped improve the Aprilia's starting capabilities, after both Vinales and Espargaro struggled off the line earlier in the season. Several of the sources consulted ...