The longest stretch of away races for the year is about to begin. Japan, Australia and Malaysia will be hosting the three MotoGP races in a row, leading up to the grand finale in Valencia. The Twin Ring of Motegi, the Japanese circuit that has hosted MotoGP since 1999, is the first stop on the world tour.

Aprilia is headed to Motegi tempered by the nice sixth place finish Aleix Espargaró brought home from Aragón, less than seven seconds behind the winner. It was a prestigious placement but no surprise, given the constant improvement in performance by the RS-GP that was lacking only the culmination in a race to demonstrate its potential.

ALEIX ESPARGARO'

"I love Japan. For me it is one of the best countries in the world. Motegi is definitely a demanding circuit for us with its violent accelerations. We did a great job in Aragón. We have a truly competitive bike and I will give 100% to achieve the maximum possible result. The atmosphere on the team is fantastic. I can't wait to spend almost a month with the guys."

SAM LOWES

"I am excited, not only for the Motegi race, but for the three weekends in a row. It will be important to start well in order to then keep our confidence up throughout the entire tour. I like Japan and I can't wait to depart. My goal is to finish in the points zone and especially to reduce the gap behind the top riders."

ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER

"The Twin Ring is a decidedly demanding track, both on acceleration and therefore wheelies and, above all, on the braking system. We are coming from an excellent performance in the last race and in 2016 we interpreted the Japanese track well. From a technical point of view, we will be experimenting a new configuration of the fuel feed system with the goal of changing torque output."

FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER

"The triple-header is a tough tour, starting with Japan. This is the home track for three of the manufacturers competing in MotoGP, a track with long straights and significant braking systems. Our primary goal must be to confirm the good results from Aragón, consolidating the potential that we demonstrated with our performance in the race. Doing well in the season finale also means setting up our work for 2018 with confidence and motivation. Three races in a row put the team and riders to the test, so going back home with plenty of spoils is fundamental."