In 2020, Aprilia abandoned their old philosophy of a 4° V75 engine to develop a 4° V90, in order to regain the power they were missing compared to other manufacturers. But that wasn't enough to top the rankings. What was missing from Noale's brand in 2020?
During the first test with the new RS-GP, things looked really positive, but as more riding time accumulated, Aprilia found itself facing engine reliability issues.
The 2019 version Aprilia prototype struggled to keep up with the competitors. It was a manageable machine, but a lack of power and a tendency to not perform well in qualifying meant it couldn't be at the front.
We will still remember that Andrea Iannone led the Australian GP in 2019 for a few laps! On circuits where outright acceleration and power are not the be-all and end-all, the Aprilia prototype performed better. But, because of this problem, Aprilia decided it was time to build a new machine from a near-clean sheet.
Here is the first prototype of the 2020 version of the RS-GP. The first signs were extremely positive. It had a lot more power and despite this, Aprilia seemed to have managed to keep the DNA of the machine with the handling of the previous generation of the RS-GP.
After making a choice between two engine specifications, Aprilia found that the RS-GP had engine reliability issues. During the 2020 season, they therefore made the decision to slightly reduce the power of their engine to preserve it. Unfortunately, this is what the Aprilia has needed for many years: power.
Despite the lack of engine power, Aprilia's overall package was better. The bike was more efficient in qualifying and seemed to have retained good handling.
Aprilia has also worked on aerodynamics. With more power came the need for better control of the machine. The aero package was quite visible, but the area where Aprilia worked the most in 2020 was its electronics package.
In recent seasons, Aprilia has reportedly been slightly behind with its electronics, so 2020 has been a year of very tricky fine-tuning during each Grand Prix weekend.
So what does all this mean for Aprilia in 2021? For starters, they are now the only manufacturer that still has dealerships. This means they are the only team in the MotoGP category that can continue to develop their engine throughout this year, while the competition, with the exception of KTM, will be using frozen engines since Qatar 2020.
It is essential for Aprilia to improve their engine in 2021 if they want to achieve the results they were aiming for last year. With the factory achieving its best result at Portimao in 2020, with Aleix Espargaro finishing 8th in the race, it is clear that once again Aprilia is forced to rely on tracks where acceleration and pure speed are not the answer to all problems.
After a complicated 2020 where we had to manage a flurry of riders, it seems that the future is brighter for Aprilia. If they can regain the power they had to give up, we could well see the Noale factory move closer to the top 6 as they hoped.
It is rumored that theAprilia 2021 is already on track at Jerez this week...
Photos: MotoGP.com
