Motorcycle enthusiasts around the world can rejoice because MotoGP is coming back this week. The first race of the 2024 season will be held in Qatar. Winter testing is in the bag and the teams have had a chance to play with their newest toys. Aprilia is one manufacturer that seems to have a strong package once again. While they could not be as competitive in 2023 as they were during the year before, things could be different this time around. We engaged Romano Albesiano, Technical Director, Aprilia Racing in a conversation to find out how well prepared the team is for the new season and how the RS-GP has evolved yet again. We also asked the same questions from Massimo Rivola, CEO, Aprilia Racing and you can read about his opinions here.
New Year, New Challenges
When asked about the overall mood in the Aprilia garage after the multiple rounds of testing, Albesiano told us, “The mood is very positive, super positive, especially after the Doha Test. We have been very fast and very consistent on pace.”
Throughout the 2022 season of MotoGP, Aleix Espargaro was in the fight to win the Riders’ Championship. Naturally, going into the 2023 season, hopes were high for a repeat of Aprilia’s success but that sadly did not materialise. Commenting on this, Albesiano said, “Probably in 2023, he (Espargaro) had too many expectations, he started with too much confidence. He didn’t immediately get the performance he wanted. So, it took him five or six races to get to the level and then he was immediately very fast. I think if we can start this season in the right way, the level is there for Aleix to compete.” Talking about the other factory rider, Maverick Vinales, Albesiano said, “With him, in 2023, we had some problems in the starting phase but have fixed 90% of those issues now. We also understood the setting of his motorcycle, so we expect that he can be very consistent because of these improvements”.
Search for Speed
Albesiano hit the nail on the head by saying, “Aerodynamics is the topic of the moment.” In fact, we saw Aprilia motorcycles with some curious Formula 1-inspired aero rakes on their machines. He further explained, “ It’s (aerodynamics) very good for motorcycling and there is a lot to talk about it. We are probably the first team to do some real innovation in this field, and we keep doing it. Year by year, the motorcycle is transforming into something different. The aero forces on motorcycles are increasing every year and the way they need to be ridden is changing continuously. So, it’s very difficult for the riders to get used to and exploit the potential of the motorcycle. This is very interesting and the 2024 Aprilia is quite different from the aero point of view. Some of our riders are exploiting this potential more than others, but it is an ongoing process. We’ve seen in the lap times during the winter test and couldn’t believe them. So it’s clearly a demonstration of the increasing potential of the motorcycle and we are in a good position to take advantage of it”.
Who is Aprilia Competing Against?
With Ducati running ahead of the field with a battalion of eight bikes, Aprilia and KTM seem a more equal match. Both teams have four bikes on the grid and a set of capable riders. Last year, KTM managed to outscore Aprilia by 47 points and secured second place in the Constructors’ battle. When we Albesiano if beating KTM would be a realistic goal this year, he told us, “For sure it’s realistic, it’s more than realistic. Don’t forget we won two races last year and they didn’t win races. If you look at the championship points, it is one thing but if you look at the top performance maybe there is another ranking. But I think it is more than realistic. We need to be more consistent probably.”
On the prospect of stealing race wins in 2024 Albesiano said, “It’s always difficult to win races, it’s always been difficult, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be more difficult than last year”.
The Heat of Battle
While Rivola is no stranger to the Buddh International Circuit, having been here for the F1 races, it was Albesiano’s first outing in the country. Albesiano confirmed that the hotter conditions were not ideal for the RS-GP, “The track is not easy for us, at least with the 2023 bike because there are a couple of restarts from very low speeds which were critical for us last year. We made some changes to the bike and I think when we get there, we will be very competitive”.
Learning Together
2023 was the first season when Aprilia had a satellite team. They partnered with RNF and had a total of four machines. While the satellite team had the bikes from the previous season, this time around, they are going to have the latest ones. Both Albesiano and Massimo Rivola, CEO, Aprilia Racing admitted that having a satellite team also meant that they had a lot of organisational challenges but the results yielded were equally important. Albesiano said, “But we learned a lot in terms of taking advantage of this condition. We’ll have the same spec machines from mid-season, luckily earlier. We start with three 2024 spec machines from the beginning. I think we will have a real advantage this year.”
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