Rivola: “If a driver wants to win, I don't know if money should be a determining factor in his decision”

Although his impact on the Noale company project has been decisive since he joined at the end of 2018, Rivola is elegant enough to relativize his merits, shifting most of the weight to the company he works for. The various methods for measuring the relaunch of the Piaggio group's racing division in the World Championship go in the same direction. According to Nielsen data, Aprilia's value has increased tenfold in the last five years, in which the Italian has been CEO.

Even easier to quantify are outcome-dependent statistics. In his first three years as big boss, Aprilia finished at the bottom of the constructors' standings, only to make a triple somersault in 2022 (finishing third), the year in which it managed to compete as a factory team without its management going arm in arm with the Gresini team, and in which he achieved his first MotoGP victory, in Argentina, at the hands of Aleix Espargaro.

In fact, the Catalan was one of the title contenders until the Asian tour which marked the last part of the calendar, in which the RS-GP did not shine. In 2023, Aprilia consolidated its position in third place, even becoming the second best bike on the grid, behind only the very powerful Ducati.

“Our growth occurred because the Piaggio group wanted to invest in MotoGP. Let's say that my arrival coincided with this desire to invest. Without this desire, I wouldn't have been able to do anything. And the first thing they invested in were people “, Rivola told Motorsport.com. Despite his young age (52 years), this graduate in economics and business at the University of Bologna has seen a lot. Especially during his time in Formula 1, both at Toro Rosso and Ferrari.

“We are looking for a good balance between the motorcycling culture of Noale and the inclusion of talents from other sectors, such as F1. This offers a mix of people with a very high level of experience and knowledge, such as Romano Albesiano – technical director – with young people who have just graduated”, explains the manager. “When you manage to grow every year, the motivation increases because you realize that you are going in the right direction. If our bike gets better and better, it is because we are stronger at the factory level. And then, of course, the pilot factor plays an important role”.

Rivola is ready to face an intense rider market in view of the next natural cycle, which runs from 2025 to 2026. In fact, it is no secret that one of the riders interested in Aprilia was Fabio Quartararo, who last Friday confirmed his renewal with Yamaha. The new contract will make the Frenchman the highest-paid rider in MotoGP, with a salary of around 12 million euros per year. Aware that Aprilia cannot compete in terms of budget with the two Japanese giants, Yamaha and Honda, the manager is evaluating a scenario in which both parties show their availability.

“The limit we have financially in terms of rider salaries is very much linked to the performance of the bike. If a rider wants to win, I don't know if the determining factor in this decision should be money”, asked Rivola, “Before this , I think it's more important that he asks himself what he wants to do: do I want to make money or do I want a project that allows me to win? And I believe that the Aprilia project allows you to fight to win. And I'll say more: if he wins, the money won't be a problem. But the commitment must be mutual”, underlined the leader of Noale, who used a political response when asked to evaluate Yamaha's maneuver with “El Diablo”: “I'm not used to commenting on the news on the other teams. In this case I'll just say that it seems to me that Yamaha is moving in the right direction.”

As for next season's line-up, Rivola believes that Espargaro and Vinales deserve preferential treatment, due to the gamble they made at the time. In this sense, and given the level of competitiveness of the RS-GP, Aprilia is in no hurry. “We will probably be the last to close the two riders for 2025. First of all, because we want to respect Aleix and Maverick, and give them time to clarify their desire to continue. Of course, I listen to everyone, because it is very interesting to know how one is perceived”, said the CEO of Aprilia Racing.