Since its return to MotoGP in 2015, the Noale brand has not achieved the expected results, even if a ray of sunshine appeared last year. Fully committed as a manufacturer this year, Noale's troops hope to finally break through to the forefront.
It is often easy to presuppose strengths in a given season by paying close attention to the performances of each other during the last rounds of the previous year. Thus, the end of 2021 was rich in lessons on the relative position of each manufacturer involved in MotoGP.
In fact, if Yamaha managed to reconnect with the title of World Champion among drivers through Fabio Quartararo last year (for the first time since Jorge Lorenzo's final coronation in 2015), it is well Ducati which displayed the best dynamic during the last events, Pecco Bagnaia winning four of the last six races contested, sorry!
A strong end to the season which allowed the Borgo Panigale brand to win both the constructors' and teams' titles. In these conditions, needless to say that the Reds' next objective will be to obtain the triple crown this year, by knocking Quartararo off his throne to in turn take the drivers' crown.
But if Yamaha and Ducati act as legitimate favorites in 2022 given the distribution of titles last year, we will still have to keep an eye on the outsiders, namely Honda and Suzuki, who both harbor the ambition of make their return to the forefront after their respective laurels in 2019 and 2020.
Aprilia in an outsider position
More uncertainties remain, however, at KTM and Aprilia, even if in the case of the latter, the dynamic printed in 2021 was very clearly upward, and all the more remarkable as the Noale brand has been stalling, it must be said, since its return to the premier category in 2015.
Judge for yourself: not a single top 5 obtained in six seasons, before his favorite driver Aleix Espargaró, who became the true figurehead of the project since his arrival within the team in 2017, sounded the revolt last year with culminating in a first podium for Aprilia at Silverstone (followed by a no less deserving fourth place at the following round, in Aragón).
The whole question is therefore whether the transalpine brand will be able to continue its momentum this year. The official tests in Sepang and Mandalika have already partially answered this question, and in the positive at that, Espargaró completing the tests in Malaysia in second place, then those in Indonesia in third.
Even if the test results should always be taken with a grain of salt, not knowing precisely in what conditions the best laps were achieved (tires fitted, precise quantity of fuel in the tank, temperature and condition of the track at the time of the test). attack, etc), a wind of optimism is therefore blowing at Aprilia, which this year is fully committed as a manufacturer in MotoGP.
A very tight championship in perspective
The Noale troops will therefore seek to confirm this year their progress observed last year, in particular with a new RS-GP which continues to feature a large number of developments, as underlined by the team's technical director, Romano Albesiano. , in a video posted on YouTube: “ The 2021 RSGP was an excellent bike, but we still thoroughly reviewed all its elements. We focus on all sectors that can provide us with performance, such as the engine for example, but also in terms of aerodynamics, or even the chassis and electronics, in order to always better manage the phases of acceleration and braking. »
Beyond its progress, Aprilia could also benefit from the ever more pronounced tightening of performance between the different manufacturers. Here again, you only have to see the results of the latest tests to become aware of the particularly slight gaps which separate the different parties entered in the premier category: apart from KTM which seemed to be in the background, the five other manufacturers have in fact were represented at least in the first seven places in the combined times at Sepang and Mandalika.
« In recent years there has been a smoothing of performance between manufacturers, and this of course includes Aprilia, which has moved closer to its competitors in the premier category », continues Albesiano. “ In 2022, we expect strong progress from the entire plateau. This is also why we worked a lot this winter, because we really wanted to participate in this new exercise with all the cards in hand. I am indeed expecting a very competitive championship, with all the manufacturers very close to each other. We should have our chances of doing well. »
The good results collected in 2021 therefore seemed to whet Aprilia's appetite, impatient for the new season to begin to finally demonstrate in the eyes of the paddock that its good form last year was in no way a flash in the pan: “ We feel a lot of adrenaline as this new season approaches », Explains Massimo Rivola, the boss of Aprilia Racing. “ We're really excited to see how far we improve compared to the competition. We have made major progress, including taking some risks in the development of the bike, and we can't wait to see what it will be like on the track. »
A duo of drivers hungry for success
Aprilia will be able to count on the valor of its line up, combining the great experience and development talents of Aleix Espargaró with the enthusiasm and burst of speed of Maverick Viñales, who joined the team at the end of the season. last. “ Aleix is our “captain”, we know what he is capable of », continues Rivola. “ On the other hand, we must yet see what Maverick is capable, but the least we can is that he was a good surprise for us last year. »
The former Yamaha rider, who also shone during pre-season testing, will in any case be able to count on the wise feedback from his teammate, who already has faith in him: “He is experienced while still very young, and he has been competing in MotoGP for several years already. », thus analyzes number 41. “ All I can tell him is to believe completely in the project. Last year he already had a glimpse of how the team works. It's very important that we all go in the same direction, that's all I can advise him. »
The first round of the 2022 season (year which will mark the 30th anniversary of the first Grand Prix title won by the brand, in 125cc in 1992 by Alex Gramigni), scheduled for the weekend of March 4 to 6, will thus be a very good indicator for Aprilia and its riders. After all, wasn't Qatar the venue for Viñales' most recent MotoGP victory last year?
