To the point of surpassing the Ducatis in the absence of Marc Marquez, the Aprilia Racing team has undeniably taken a step forward in the second half of the season. MotoGP 2025, but she didn't wait for that to share her current vision with the press, thanks to very interesting meetings with the management team, of Massimo rivola à Fabiano Sterlacchini Passing by Marco Di Luca.
While the first two are well known to the general public, the last, initially responsible for aerodynamics, is less well known, as its scope of action has evolved over time.
So before returning soon to the latest development seen during the test in Valencia, which marks a real change in Aprilia's approach, we are sharing here the comments that "the man with the patents" shared in September in Misano about the future RS-GP 27, and presented as follows by the communications manager in the Noale hospitality.
» Thank you for being with us. So Marco, as you know, is responsible for the chassis ("vehicle") at Aprilia Racing. Just a brief introduction: you already know him. He's competed in many categories, including Formula 1. Today at Aprilia Racing, he's in charge of the chassis, so aerodynamics, but not only that: chassis, suspension, swingarm, ergonomics, everything related to the motorcycle. This discussion is dedicated to the 2027 project, and I think it could be very interesting. I'll hand it over to you.
The man is good-natured, affable, has a sense of humor, and clearly takes a mischievous pleasure in answering the press's questions.
As usualWe reproduce here in full the remarks of Marco Di Luca without any formatting, even if it is translated from English.
(I.e. Will the races be more spectacular?
"I don't know. Maybe yes, because some phases will be a little longer."
The braking phase, for example: there will be less aerodynamic drag, so I hope that under braking there will be a little more distance to fight.
Acceleration too, because in competition, if you're too fast, you don't have time to fight, right?
My experience shows that if you brake within three meters… »
🎤 Remove the carbon discs!
"Hmm... it's about safety. Carbon is safe, because they are increasingly..."
🎤 Marco, do you think the 850cc will be significantly slower in top speed?
“We have some speculation about a speed reduction. I can’t give you any figures, but it depends, as always, on the length of the straight.”
If you have less drag, on a very long straight line… but as the braking phase will be anticipated, you will have to stop a little earlier.
So the real answer is yes, but I won't tell you how much slower it will be.
🎤 And what about cornering speed?
"The cornering speed... I would say that with identical tire characteristics, so without integrating the tire variable, from a global point of view, it will be similar.
So I expect something quite similar in this phase. But again, we can't isolate this part, because we also have to take into account braking and acceleration. It's a continuum, isn't it?
(I.e. When do you plan, or when is it planned, to move out of the “meta” phase and see a real motorcycle on the track for the first time?
"There is an agreement that we cannot do anything this year, so it will be at the beginning of next year.
Let's see… maybe some competitors will be a bit faster than us, we don't know. But honestly, that's what we can afford.
🎤 When the new regulation was published, you stated that it would have been possible to reduce the speed and achieve all the objectives, particularly in terms of costs, with a less complex solution…
"In terms of costs, the exercise on the engine is, in my opinion, suicide.
Because, and this is again my personal opinion, I think we could have achieved more or less the same result with something much, much simpler than that.
(I.e. Which one?
"There are several things. Weight, for example. Okay, it won't be exactly the same if we're only talking about lap time."
But the engine remains a very interesting exercise. So, to answer you clearly: if you ask me if it will be cheaper initially, no.
🎤 Compared to what you had imagined or planned, will the development cost of a completely new motorcycle be in line with your forecasts, or rather higher or lower?
“It will be a completely new motorcycle. At this very high level of competition, with a smaller and lighter engine, everything has to be redesigned.”
The engine will be positioned differently. The exhaust will be different. The cooling system will be completely different. The air intake too. Absolutely everything will be different.
We cannot take a new engine and fit it on the current motorcycle (2025): it would be a losing game.
So we're starting from scratch. I imagine that, like the others, we're already working on it, but apart from a few elements that we might keep, it will be a completely new motorcycle.
From an economic point of view, this is a very big challenge for us.
🎤 Does this mean we are almost certain to see a change in the current hierarchy: Ducati, Aprilia, KTM, Yamaha…?
"Why did you say Ducati first? (laughs)"
Sorry… you're the one who said it. So honestly, I can't answer you.
🎤 Was changing tire suppliers when building a completely new motorcycle the right thing to do, in your opinion?
"No, no."
🎤 Should the manufacturers perhaps have intervened more?
"From a certain point of view, to reshuffle the cards, perhaps yes.
But from a regulatory point of view, no, no.
I know that at first, one might say to oneself: “Wow, it’s…”But when you introduce a new regulation, over time…
From an engine perspective, yes, perhaps. From an engineering perspective, it's an interesting exercise, but… (grimace)
🎤 Because of this, and also the lack of data you'll have on these Pirelli tires until the first tests next year, is there an increased risk of seeing the pecking order between the teams become even more fragmented? You could very well have designed an excellent bike, then see the tires arrive and completely change everything…
“Yes, I mean that it’s part of the game. Maybe. I don’t know. You can be lucky at the start, but if you do a really good job and you have the ability, let’s say from the initial phase, to prepare a motorcycle that, at the beginning, gives you enough freedom, then you can compensate for things like weight distribution, for example.
The design philosophy for a first motorcycle is therefore different from that of a motorcycle developed for the following year, when the regulations are stable. Because you have to think ahead: What if the tire behaves in this way? What if…?
I may be wrong on some points, for example on consumption, although it is not the best example.
"So the motorcycle needs to be designed in such a way as to maintain a margin for error, a capacity for reaction, without compromising the weight. You know, the minimum weight will decrease from 157 to 153 kg. So perhaps we need to keep something 'in reserve,' something to play with."
🎤 When Dorna announced this last year, it was stated that each manufacturer's GPS data would be made available to the other manufacturers. Do you think this will help? Will it be relevant? Will it help maintain closer competition?
"This is something very new, I would say, for the entire motorcycle community. It's not the case in Formula 1, where it's very common. But I think it can be here too. And if you combine that with methodologies that are evolving very rapidly thanks to AI, you can achieve something very powerful, if you want to."
🎤 Marco, I'd like to get your opinion on the minimum weight for motorcycle + rider, which exists in almost all categories, everywhere, except in MotoGP…
“Yes, I am totally in favor of introducing this rule. Perhaps with a certain degree of tolerance.”
Yes, not something too strict. We're talking about the motorcycle and the rider, right? Because currently, it clearly penalizes some riders. And that's not fair.
Perhaps the mechanism, the formula, could include a margin of tolerance. But personally, I would favor the introduction of a total weight.
🎤 Has this been a topic discussed within the committee you are part of?
"I think I proposed it personally, in a fairly simple way, and they said: "All right" (laughs). I found that interesting.
MotoGP Aprilia Marco Di Luca MotoGP Aprilia Marco Di Luca MotoGP Aprilia Marco Di Luca
