Aprilia has finally entered the exclusive club of winning manufacturers in MotoGP. It is only made up of six members and this consecration was long overdue since the start of this adventure in 2015. This is the first season tackled by the Noale firm under its own colors since, until then, the course in Grand Prize was done in association with the Gresini team, now restructured around Ducati. Romano Albesiano was there from the very beginning and knew those who were black for a long time before they were beautiful like in Argentina. But in fact, this victory can also turn out to be a poisoned chalice. Ask KTM…
Aprilia is now a winning brand in MotoGP with an RS-GP whose technical maturity can no longer be disputed. Aleix Espargaro, who has defended it for six seasons, has definitely entered the history of the brand with this achievement in Argentina which follows the first podium taken at Silverstone last year. Roman Albesian can appreciate how far we have come since the beginning. For a long time he was in charge with the dual role of technical and sporting director, a combination that Sahara, at Suzuki, only supported for one season...
« In the first years, 75% of the work was bureaucratic, while I also needed to grow technically », he tells 'La Gazzetta dello Sport'. He remembers the transition between WSBK where RSV4 was at the top and MotoGP with RS-GP which was first derived from it: “ the impact was shocking, but we had the strength not to give up, especially thanks to the work of a professional like Alvaro Bautista, later joined by Stefan Bradl. It was a journey through the desert, but I knew that, even with ups and downs, we would get there. ».
After this tribute paid a posteriori to two pilots from the lean times and who had not been recognized at their true value at the time by the boss of the group Piaggio of which is part Aprilia, Romano Albesiano spent 2019 where everything accelerated with recruitment: Massimo rivola, arrived from Formula 1 and Ferrari. From now on, Roman Albesian was able to devote himself entirely to the technical part of the project Aprilia and, thanks to the available resources, highly qualified technical figures arrived in Noale.
Aprilia does not forget Bautista, Bradl and Iannone
A year later, the RS-GP's engine design changed. “ The transition from a narrow V to a 90° V made life easier for the pilots, from an engine full of torque here is one more balanced and usable, whose first throttle stroke has been simplified. At the same time there was a return of people who had trained in Noale, with an overall strengthening of the team ».
On the pilot side, Aprilia firmly believed in Andrea Iannone. But the doping affair put an end to the collaboration, Aprilia wasting valuable time in the driver market while awaiting final sentencing. “ Iannone had given auspicious signals, I remain curious to know what he would have done with the 2020 bike ". During the 2021 MotoGP season, the opportunity opens up to recruit a top rider like Maverick Vinales, thanks to the involvement ofAleix Espargarò. Despite so many difficult moments, he never gave up and on the day of the 200th GP, he achieved a historic victory.
And now ? “ We don't think about the World Championship at all, we only did three races, it makes no sense to talk about it. For now, the only thing I'm waiting for, it is to consolidate our situation, to take our two drivers very high, to experience race by race. Starting with Austin "Says Roman Albesian. “We have a lot of very important ideas in the drawer.”
In Argentina, in addition to the 25 points of victory, Aleix Espargaró scored 3 points (4 in total with the Silverstone 2021 point) in a particular but strategic ranking. Thus, two other points will remove from the Noale house the “concessions” which allow it to continue to evolve faster than the others. A change that had a serious impact KTM in the organization of his work. However, last year, Austin, which is the next deadline to experience this weekend, had been a disaster for Aprilia and Aleix Espargaró. Texas will be the opportunity to check the level of evolution of this RS-GP. By the way, European manufacturers have won the last five Grands Prix: bagnaia in Portugal and Valencia 2021 on Ducati, bastianini on Ducati in Doha, Olive tree on KTM in Mandalika and Alex Espargaró on Aprilia at Las Termas de Rio Hondo…
