MotoGP | Aprilia admits it is not yet ready to fight with Ducati

During the last two seasons, enthusiasm has been the most widespread feeling in Aprilia. The progress of both the riders and the team has been such that everyone has become accustomed to celebrating successes and results achieved, especially the first victories.

However, probably considering the fact that the ambitions are high, the current assessment is mixed, imbued with realism, drawn up by Massimo Rivola. After the Sepang tests, the Aprilia CEO recognized that his bikes are still not up to par with Ducati, who once again dominated the timesheets in Malaysia, with four riders below the 56 mark.

“If we are realistic, Ducati's progress is impressive. You can see that everyone is going faster. The good thing is that the show will be fun to watch, both on TV and on the circuit. But I don't think we are ready to fight with Ducati again,” warned Rivola speaking to the official MotoGP website.

Aleix Espargari, fifth in the combined test rankings, four tenths from the best time, agrees with this statement: “He's right. Once again, all the Ducatis are in front and I was the only one to mix with them.” However, the Granollers rider appears more cautious than his boss, as he expresses great enthusiasm towards the new version of the bike.

“Obviously we have made a lot of progress, the bike is clearly better than last season. But I'm not sure we're in a position to fight for the title at the moment. We still have time, it's only the first test of the season, but Massimo is right. Ducati is still the bike to beat and has many strong riders, so it's not easy,” explained Espargaro.

In any case, the Spaniard is thrilled to have found a more stable RS-GP, which allows him to show excellent speed in the cornering pace. The Spaniard considers this prototype to be an improvement compared to the 2023 one, and this is promising for the future. All this elicits positive comments from him, despite the superiority of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer.

“In general, I am very happy. I had a lot of fun in this first test. I think we did a great job. I would say that in Sepang we completed our best test program since I have been at Aprilia. So I'm happy with the work that was done this winter in Noale. The 2024 bike looks very promising,” she said.

His Sprint simulation on the final day of testing provided evidence of this progress, as the #41 proved to be much quicker than last year's grsn prix. “We did a solid job on Day 3. As Michelin said, we were the only ones to do a sprint simulation on used tyres, because I no longer had new tyres. Even so, I was quite fast and managed to keep my time at 1'58”4, which is basically our qualifying time in 2023. I'm very happy with our progress.”

However, Espargaro notes that there are areas to improve, especially in engine performance, where he hopes to continue making progress. “We need medium-range torque,” ​​he explained. “After any gear change, you feel the need for a little more torque, more power. The 2024 bike is clearly better, but our weak point continues to be the engine. If we want to compete with the big boys, we have to increase the power.”

“In the meeting with the aerodynamics guys, I was simply asked 'how do you think you can ride this bike in a group, stop it and change line?'. That's a great question, but I don't have the answer yet. I really like this bike, its character is incredible. I can really ride gaining speed mid-corner, which is my riding style. But I think it won't be easy in the changes of direction,” he continued.

“I have a lot of stability, which is a good thing. If you want to try to overtake or take more risks in corners, it's good to have extra stability. But the bike is very heavy. The RS-GP is not an easy bike because we have a lot of aerodynamic load and this makes it difficult to move the bike and understand where the limit is. It's not easy, but I clearly feel that this bike is more competitive than the 2023 one.”

As for aerodynamics, Espargaro was decisive: “I have already chosen my package. I asked the engineers to develop a new wing that I thought for the backrest of the saddle, I think it will be ready for testing in Qatar. If I like it, it will be my last piece,” he concluded.