At the start of the season, Maverick Vinales finally seemed to be reaching his full potential on the Aprilia RS-GP24, but the brand is clearly struggling. MotoGP and has not finished suffering. The Noale firm has not been there for some time. The worrying results have been piling up for two Grands Prix, and no one seems to be able to do anything about it. Worse, a singular problem has reappeared and could well spoil the end of this 2024 financial year. An analysis is necessary.
The descent into Hell
Aprilia has had two very difficult Grands Prix in quick succession. Rarely has a manufacturer recently lost so much speed in such a short space of time. After his successful period at the start of the year, Vinales was no longer performing as well. Aleix Espargaro, a few months away from retirement, can no longer compete with the best. But here, the two most recent races do not even fit into this dynamic of stagnation.
While both managed to stay in the top 10 frequently, the men in black recorded a cataclysmic weekend at Aragon. Vinales, last at 37 seconds in the Sprint, was simply struggling not to fall. In Misano, it was hardly better, with zero points from the two Spaniards.
Some drivers complain about their tires. Maybe some work needs to be done on that? Aragon was still very strange. Photo: Michelin Motorsport
The results are one thing. After all, there was only a week between the two Grands Prix. Yet, in this very short period, Aprilia seems to have completely lost its direction.. The drivers don't have the answer. The very experienced Aleix Espargaro, who will nevertheless be in charge of the development of the Honda RC213V next year, doesn't understand any more than his engineers. The observation is not much more cheerful at Trackhouse Racing, the satellite team. If Miguel Oliveira is the only one to perform a little bit - quite far from his standards, Raul Fernandez is having a very difficult time, with two blank results in two Sunday races without falling.
Heat, Aprilia's enemy
A track was mentioned; the worst, it's that she has been known for a long time. It's about the heat, because the RS-GP does not evacuate hot air well, which stagnates in all the parts of the bike... including the rider. Remember: last year in Thailand, Maverick Vinales was forced to abandon the race because he thought he was going to faint from lack of fresh air! This thesis, which makes the mission of the pilots on a machine that struggles to generate grip even more difficult, was supported by Vinales and Oliveira after the San Marino Grand Prix.
The problem is that it wasn't that warm in Misano! We're about to fly out for a five-race Asian tour, with three rounds that can really hurt the Italians if the fairing is not suitable to alleviate this problem.
Misano was already a failure for Aprilia last year, due to the enormous grip. It might not improve next weekend. Photo: Michelin Motorsport
Aprilia is a great manufacturer, that's for sure, but it must be acknowledged that it seems slower to make improvements than the competition. Every year, the momentum runs out of steam and known problems persist. I'm thinking of this clutch, which has been making starts sluggish since the beginning of 2023. And now this problem with the heat on the handlebars. Like the others, Aprilia tested at Misano, but will these improvements be sufficiently impactful to make this end of the financial year happy?
KTM has moved back in front
The problem is that Aprilia is in a kind of in-between. They can't go after Ducati, that's obvious. Their real rival is KTMThe impending engine freeze imposes a strict schedule on all manufacturers except Honda and Yamaha. Without being able to fight for victory immediately, Aprilia must absolutely stay ahead of the Austrian firm in order to avoid a long period of stagnation. I refer you to this article which explains the issues surrounding this measure taken recently.
As it stands, KTM has regained the advantage. And in what way. I thought Aprilia was quiet after this start to the season, but the rather average results of the two Trackhouse riders coupled with the return to business of Brad Binder have totally changed the dynamic.
Nothing speaks louder than numbers. KTM is second in the manufacturers' standings, ten points ahead of Aprilia. In the last five Grands Prix, Beirer and his troops have scored 80 points, compared to 68 for Aprilia.These figures are quite significant, given that both manufacturers have four bikes, one of which performs very poorly (the two Fernandezes, basically).
Top Gun is not there anymore. He doesn't even have a flash in the pan recently. Photo: Michelin Motorsport
The Italian factory team is still ahead in the teams' standings, but by a whisker: just 39 points. If Vinales and Espargaro continue at this pace, KTM will move ahead very soon. In fact, the official team scored six points in two events., which has never happened since that terrible end to the 2022 season. Red Bull KTM, on the other hand, scored 41.
If the situation is not quickly addressed by Aprilia, this dynamic could continue towards the end of the season. What do you think about the question? Tell me in comments!
As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
