MotoGP, Massimo Rivola, Aprilia: “what we are putting in place is for the long term”

He is brand new to the motorcycle world, but he is particularly experienced in motorsports. When you have served in Formula 1 under the Ferrari banner, you necessarily have a certain authority to speak, even about things that you discover Massimo Rivola is the one and he is the new sporting director of Aprilia. A factory which could well, this time, take off…

The off-season tests were encouraging for the men at the RS-GP who had given us more of the habit of procrastinating. But the other Italian bike ranked in the top 10 with a Aleix Espargaró sharpened during his test gallops with solid times. For the moment, only the brother of a Pol who plays with a KTM, is the spearhead of a manufacturer who has nevertheless talked a lot aboutAndrea Iannone during his recruitment. Precisely, this is perhaps what stung the one who will begin his third season under the Noale coat of arms…

At least, that's the idea developed by Rivola : " the arrival of Andrea Iannone gave new impetus to Aleix Espargaró, who we are currently seeing in great form. In Qatar he had a fantastic time, although we avoided getting into flames. He set qualifying times, even though he was not in this configuration ».

But the one who relieved a Roman Albesian who now works in the only technical field in which he excels sees further: “ the results are positive. We know where we come from, after a very difficult 2018. But we are convinced that we have taken a path that goes beyond this 2018 observation ". The Italian thus recalls that the progress observed at the Noale brand is not only of a technical nature, but also concerns the restructuring of the team.

The same Rivola ends on Motoracing always being surprised by the very different atmosphere that reigns in MotoGP, compared to Formula 1 that he worked with for fifteen years: “ during testing, we are more relaxed. It's difficult to tell a difference from Formula 1. I'll wait a few races before saying what I see in the paddock. It's a more open environment in general. This is part of the biker's culture compared to that of the car driver. However, something can be done at the level of organization, procedures, to implement a certain method and apply a certain mentality ».

It will be recalled that Aprilia also has a choice test pilot with Bradley Smith.