Aprilia Back In Motogp!
APRILIA BACK IN MOTOGP!
Italian factory team preparing for grand return to motorcycle racing's top class
Bruno dePrato
Piaggio CEO Roberto Colaninno has announced that Aprilia will return to MotoGP in 2015 with a four-year plan that will give the Noale specialist the time to fully develop what it expects will be a truly competitive motorcycle.
Now the obvious question: What will happen to Aprilia’s commitment in World Superbike? At this moment, the most realistic perspectives are for either strong factory support of a top team or, in case no real top team should come forth, quit SBK, since the option of keeping the factory team is regarded as marginal.
Aprilia is not particularly pleased with the evolution of SBK rules for next year since it limits the technical advantages the RSV4 had over the competition, especially those coming from the cassette-type gearbox and proprietary electronics, which are way ahead of anything fielded by the competition. At this
stage, investing in MotoGP the vast experience gathered in SBK appears to be the most rational way not to waste a real wealth in top technologies.
Aprilia has, of course, already set foot in MotoGP, albeit through the back door. The RSV4-based CRT racers entrusted to Randy de Puniet and Aleix Espargaro proved their remarkable potential, having dominated the secondary category in 2012 and ’13. New “Open” rules killed a lot ofthat potential, and in 2014, only lonely Danilo Pétrucci made the grid and with poor results, mainly because of the incompatibility of the Marelli ECU with the rest of the original electronics.
Putting everything together, Piaggio management came to the conclusion that going to MotoGP all the way was the most promising solution in terms of return on the racing investment. Aprilia is already working on the 2015 racer, which will be a transition bike, based on last year’s CRT with evolved and much lighter rolling gear and an evolution engine featuring the right electronics, pneumatic valves, and cylinders enlarged to the 81mm bore limit.
The new bike will come in 2016 and receive a real GP engine, much more compact and lighter, though it should keep the present 65-degree V-4 configuration. Aprilia will entrust its machines to Gresini Racing, one of the top satellite teams, now fielding a factory Honda. Gresini will have two bikes, one for its present rider, Alvaro Bautista, while the name of the second rider has not yet been announced. Rumors include the possibility of Marco Melandri migrating from Superbike back to MotoGP, but that is not final.
During its rich history, Aprilia has collected 294 wins and 19 manufacturer and 19 rider world titles inthe125and250ccGP classes, plus 45 wins and three manufacturer and two rider world titles in World Superbike. Gresini Racing has 40 wins and two world titles in the 250cc and Moto2 classes.
