One wondered how long it would take for MotoGP to come up with a rear wing, after all the teams developed fairings with aerodynamic solutions that are gradually changing the shapes and sizes of the bikes.
The answer was given by Aprilia Racing which at Mugello for the Italian GP mounted a spoiler on the tail of the RS-GP of test driver Lorenzo Savadori who in the first free practice session rode with and without the small aerodynamic appendage .
Savadori, wild card for the Noale manufacturer, will go down in history for being the first rider to have experimented with a rear wing on a MotoGP bike.
The unprecedented profile does not reach the maximum width of the tail which shows in the two lateral exit edges the presence of two side bulkheads that close two other small semi-spoilers, so in reality we are faced with a sort of bi-plane , or better still to a kind of flow conveyor.
The wing remains covered by the figure of the rider when he is raised on the bike, while it seems to become the natural continuation of the back when he is on the hull in search of speed. The wing, therefore, can generate a load on the rear, but it can also be more useful in cleaning up the rear wake, to improve top speed. In short, we are in the presence of an in-depth study carried out by Marco De Luca, an aerodynamic expert with F1 experience, who has embellished the staff directed by Romano Albesiano.
The appearance of this element has already made several insiders turn up their mouths who see the escalation of aerodynamics negatively, fearing an increase in costs now that a research front linked to the rear end of the bike opens up, while up to now the the investigation concerned almost exclusively the front.
Progress does not stop and it is pleasing to record that the most innovative part in MotoGP is interpreted by the Italian brands: first Ducati and then Aprilia were able to propose new concepts, opening up development paths that were unthinkable on two wheels until a few years ago.
And those who are against it will try to make the usual excuses about safety …
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