The Motorland Aragón track actually isn’t on the real life/official MotoGP 23 calendar, but it still features on the game as a bonus track.

It’s got an interesting layout for sure, but I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in saying it’s not one of my favourite tracks. It’s got a bunch of tricky corners combined with subtle direction and elevation change, and it’s a difficult circuit to get into a rhythm on.

For a bike setup, you need something that you feel comfortable with first and foremost, before any pace considerations. Just setting consistent laps here without falling off the bike is enough of a challenge.

Here is a bike setup for the MotoGP class for Aragón:

• Suspension (Front Fork):
  • • Front pre-load – 2
    • Oil Quantity – 3
    • Front Spring Hardness – 4
    • Front Swingarm compression – 3
    • Front Swingarm extension – 3
• Rear Single Shock Absorber:
  • • Rear Pre-load – 4
    • Swingarm connector – 3
    • Rear spring hardness – 2
    • Single shock absorber compression – 3
    • Single shock absorber extension – 3
• Vehicle Geometry:
  • • Steering head inclination – 4
    • Trail – 4
    • Steering plate position – 3
    • Rear swingarm length – 5
• Transmission:
  • • Gears (1-6) – 5-5-4-4-4-3
    • Final ratio – 4
    • Slipper clutch – 7
• Brakes:
  • • Front disc – 340 mm High Mass
    • Rear disc – 220mm
• ECU
  • • Traction control – 5
    • Engine braking – 4
    • Anti-wheelie – 5
    • Power mapping – 2

This is a slightly modded version of my template setup, but with some customisation for the braking as it’s very tricky round here. I use the 340mm High Mass disc, which delivers less stopping power but is easier to control with the difficult braking zones here. If you can get away with using the 355 mm disc, do so, but it will make it more likely that you will crash on certain corners.

Alternate MotoGP Bike Setup For Aragón

If you’re not feeling comfortable with the above setup, here’s a slightly different one you can try around this track:

• Suspension (Front Fork):
  • • Front pre-load – 4
    • Oil Quantity – 1
    • Front Spring Hardness – 2
    • Front Swingarm compression – 4
    • Front Swingarm extension – 5
• Rear Single Shock Absorber:
  • • Rear Pre-load – 2
    • Swingarm connector – 4
    • Rear spring hardness – 3
    • Single shock absorber compression – 4
    • Single shock absorber extension – 6
• Vehicle Geometry:
  • • Steering head inclination – 2
    • Trail – 4
    • Steering plate position – 3
    • Rear swingarm length – 2
• Transmission:
  • • Gears (1-6) – 5-5-4-4-4-3
    • Final ratio – 4
    • Slipper clutch – 7
• Brakes:
  • • Front disc – 340 mm High Mass
    • Rear disc – 220mm
• ECU
  • • Traction control – 5
    • Engine braking – 4
    • Anti-wheelie – 5
    • Power mapping – 2

I honestly could not find much difference between these two setups when I tested them myself. Perhaps the first one was slightly better for me. But I think with the Aragón circuit, it’s more about getting used to the very difficult layout than the specific setup you are using (more on this below).

Moto2 and Moto3 Setups For Aragón 

The slower Moto2 and Moto3 bikes can be somewhat easier to control than the MotoGP bikes, because they don’t have such insane acceleration so you’ve more time to prepare for what’s coming and also correct small mistakes.

For setups for these bike classes, check out our MotoGP 23 generic setups page, where we’ve got starter setups you can test against the game default to find improvements in pace or consistency.

Tips For Riding Around Aragón 

I’ve always found Aragón one of the very trickiest circuits to consistently get right, as there’s quite a few strangely shaped corners that also have odd direction or elevation changes just as you enter the braking zone.

Here’s some extra tips for riding around here.

Braking technique – This game does not like it if you apply the front brake while leaning or going downhill, so be very careful not to do this as you’ve got a couple of downhill braking zones (turn 8/9 corkscrew, Turn 12, Turn 14). Brake early, and in a straight line for these tricky corners, and then use the rear brake only to get the bike around the corner if needed.

Turn 1 – Braking point is as you reach the overhead sign. You need to scrub quite a bit of speed off for this turn as it’s deceptively sharp. Then the next few corners from turns 2-5 are pretty straightforward, but be careful not to over-apply the throttle.

Turn 8-9 – The tricky downhill right-left corkscrew section. It can be tricky at first but isn’t really too hard as long as you always err on the side of braking too early than too late. Apply the front brake hard in a straight line to slow the bike down before you start going downhill, then use the rear brake to tuck the bike around the sharp left hander.

Turn 12 – 15 – Possibly the hardest section to get right. Turn 12 is very tricky as there’s a slight direction change, plus it’s downhill. Always apply the front brake super early for this corner, and only in a straight line and when upright. Then release and use additional rear brake if needed to tuck the bike around the tricky corners of 12-15. These corners just have a strange angle to them that you don’t see much on other tracks, and they need some practice to get right. The right hander turn 14 is another one where you have to be careful as it’s downhill – again be sure to brake early and not when leaning.

Turn 16 – The last long left hand corner before you return to the pit straight. Braking point is later this year, just as the kerbing starts on your right. You can take a wide line or narrow line as per your choice – I prefer a wide line for a good run onto the pit straight. You can also cut the inside kerb a little as you run onto the finish straight.

Rhythm/Consistency – It’s kind of a clique with these MotoGP games, but Aragón really is one of those tracks where it pays to just focus on consistency and getting around the circuit rather than “pushing” and trying to force good lap times. As soon as I try to push and brake later to find lap time, that’s when I crash or miss corners on this track. Always err on the side of braking too early and try to build up a rhythm round here rather than being too aggressive.

Academy Track Guide – Aragón