Fears that Aprilia's MotoGP progress could be halted by the end of the Covid technical freeze appear to be u꧅nfounded, if pre-season testing is anything to go ﷽by.

The last factory still with access to technical concessions has the luxury of making design changes in ever✤y area, barring aerodynamics, throughout the rꦛacing season.

That means there is less urgency to introduce new parts du💎ring the winter, but it was a highly💟-evolved RS-GP that turned up for testing at Sepang and Mandalika.

"The bike improved in almost every single part," said Aleix Espargaro, who handed 💖the factory its long-awaited first podium with the RS-GP at Silverstone last season.

"It hasn’t been a r✃evolution, but the evolution of every single part of the 2021 bike is clear.

"Agility, corner speed and turning are the places we improved the most. Also, the engine ﷽is a bit stronger. Aerodynamics as well.

"The bike is better, faster and ♊wheelies less than '21. 𒁃We’ve almost improved all the bike."

The combined efforts of Espargaro and team-mate Maverick Vinales kept the black 'stealth'-liveried machineꦿ inside the top three during all five days of testing.

The b෴ike also look🐲ed highly-competitive for average pace, but Espargaro is keeping his feet on the ground until the real racing starts in Qatar on March 6.

"The problem is testing is testing. It’s completely different than racing. If you have good pace, it doesn’t mean you’re going to win the race," he𒐪 said. "You have to deal with the other competitors. The temperature and pressure of the front tyre usually increases if you follow somebody."

Also of concern is that the 2022 RS-GP's impressive cornering speed could be blocked when following other rider💮s, using a stop-and-go style.

"We’ll discover when we race, but I h♐ave the feeling our bike is a little bit better when we are alone than fighting with the others," Espargaro said.

"Our bike is better than our competitors in terms of corner speed but if you are n𒈔ot allowed to do the corner speed, you’r⛦e in trouble.

"Anyway, we 𒁃improved a bit the engine. We could see this and that’s going to be helpful for the races I think."

After the podium and e♑ighth in the world championship during 2021, Espargaro starts his sixth season with the team knowin𝓀g they are 'closer than ever' to victory.

"Last year we achieved the first podium. But I think this year the championship is going to be the most difficult of the hist🌼ory in MotoGP. The level of the bikes and riders are unbelievable," he said.

"But we’re closer than ever, even if [winning is] a very✃ difficult target. I will try."

"The thing that would make me satisfied would be to improve on the championship ✨of last year," he added. "So, if this year we’re able to be close or even score more than 200 points and stay inside the top s🗹ix in the championship, that would be realistic.

"You cannot finish eighth and the ne🐻xt year win [the title]. This is difficult. This is what I want, b🧸ut difficult… We’re doing good. The new bike works good since the first laps in Malaysia that Lorenzo [Savadori] did. Overall, we are happy."

Espargaro was third fastest (+0.325s) on Sunday'🅷s final day of pre-season testing at Mandalika, with Vinales in seventh (+0.418s).