This is a strong and worrying trend that affects adventure Aprilia in MotoGP. The Noale factory is indeed having great difficulty keeping its skills in its box and this latest news only confirms the idea of a committed manufacturer with insufficient resources. Meanwhile, the competition benefits. KTM thus recovers engineer Marcus Eschenbacher, assigned to Aleix Espargaro.
Aprilia is part of the powerful European group Piaggio at the head of which Roberto Colanino wants to see his troops win. A philosophy that also applies to MotoGP where the man on the ground Roman Albesian continues to promise an RS-GP capable of competing in the top 5 of the category. Theoretically, the means are available, and yet.
Aprilia is not entered entirely under its own name in Grand Prix since it relies on the Gresini team. The results have not come since the start of this adventure and the reliability concerns have been obvious since the start of this season. Last year, the Italians finished behind debutant KTM in the constructors' championship. Their top driver is Aleix Espargaro which will remain so for the two to come with Andrea Iannone who will join him at his side.
Certainly, but we can wonder if the Aprilia box is not becoming an empty shell. Let's take stock: Gigi Dall'Igna left for Ducati, after the 2016 season the chief mechanic Diego Gubellini went to Marc VDS, Andrea Bonassoli left for Pata Yamaha in Superbike and, in 2017, the project director Marco Bertolatti packed his bags at KTM. A manufacturer who will recover the engineer at the end of this year Marcus Eschenbacher who will therefore officiate alongside Johann zarco.
This is certainly a lot since Aprilia will still not have a satellite team next year while its test team is reduced to its simplest expression.
