Aprilia MotoGP star Aleix Espargaro believes the V4 RS-GP is now ‘truly competitive’ after his sixth place in the dry at Motorland Aragon and is aiming to do better at this weekend’s Motegi round.

Espargaro was less than seven seconds behind winner Marc Marquez in Spain, and will also benefit from a different fuel feed system which the team hopes will alter the way the bike puts its torque to the tarmac.

“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 per cent 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,” said the Spaniard.