Aprilia's RS-GP project in MotoGP was launched in 2015, but it is especially since 2019 with the arrival, from Formula 1, of Massimo Rivola, that things have accelerated. The last season 2022 was even a big leap forward with the start of the competition under its own colors instead of those of Gresini. Then the first victory arrived in Argentina with Aleix Espargaró who was in the title race until the very last Grands Prix of the campaign. In 2023, the arrival of a satellite team is now validated. A real whirlwind that even impresses the boss of the Noale manufacturer's competition...
Aprilia is it experiencing a growth spurt likely to give its managers a bad night's sleep? We're not there yet, but the competition boss of the Noale firm still says that things are going quickly and are putting a lot of strain on his troops. And everything apparently accelerated with the installation of the satellite team in the landscape… On speedweek, Massimo rivola comments thus: “ I have to say that the people at the company did a fantastic job. We are not used to taking on such tasks. To be honest, as a racing company we have grown too fast over the last couple of years ».
He specifies : " last year we appeared as a factory team for the first time, in 2023 we will provide a second MotoGP team for the first time. I can feel and see the enormous effort made by the company. We were able to start this customer team project very early. But I can tell you that we still have things to build and do. But as the season progresses it will get better ».
Massimo Rivola: “I don't know if the effort is greater than expected. But it required and requires great effort, that's for sure"
Concretely, the impact was as follows: “ the objective was to use 15 additional people to support the RNF team. We needed some strengths for the motors, we needed more test benches. I don't know if the effort is greater than expected. But it required and requires great effort, that's for sure ". On the engine side, Aprilia will produce, as the regulations require, eight per pilot “and a few others”, ends Massimo rivola.
We must hope that this additional effort has not encroached on the forces focused on the development of the RS-GP 2023. At the last three-day test in Sepang, the Noale firm was the only one giving the impression of being able to give the reply to Ducati.
