The last few months have been a whirlwind in the offices of Trackhouse Racing, which had to build, practically from scratch, the structure in which Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez compete in the MotoGP World Championship. The team was built on the quicksand left by previous owners RNF and CryptoDATA. Little by little, stability has come to a team that lived in perpetual uncertainty and now breathes much easier.
In addition to the employees themselves, if there is anyone celebrating this tranquility it is Aprilia, which has obtained one of the most important partners it could imagine, with the aim of growing in the North American market. Justin Marks' company is determined to promote the brand and give it the exposure it has not yet achieved in the United States, a desire applauded by all involved. As Aprilia's top executive, Rivola welcomes the agreement reached a few months ago, which commits the Noale manufacturer to supplying its prototypes to the North Carolina facility for the next few years – the duration was not specified in the announcement of the signature.
“It is extremely valuable for us to have Trackhouse on board. Their influence will be fundamental in the development of the RS-GP,” says Rivola, speaking by telephone with Motorsport.com. Despite having a contract that includes two models of the latest specification (2024) for Oliveira and Fernandez, the lack of margin has so far only allowed the Portuguese to start the season with only this year's bike, while the Spaniard competes with the 2023 Despite good will and the best intentions, the start of the championship did not go as expected. After the first two stages of the calendar, Oliveira's ninth place in Portimao is his best result, while Fernandez has not yet scored a point and is last in the standings.
Carlos Ezpeleta, CSO of Dorna, Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia, Justin Marks, owner of Trackhouse, Dan Rossomondo, CCO of Dorna. Jamie Little, presenter, at the presentation of the Trackhouse Racing Team Aprilia.
Photo de: MotoGP
“The appearance of Trackhouse is a huge opportunity, the best for any brand. It is a very ambitious team. I can't wait for Trackhouse to beat us, because it would mean we could have done better. If you want to grow, the competition is at the basis of everything”, adds the manager, who is in his sixth year at the helm of Aprilia, after a long experience in Formula 1, both at Toro Rosso and Ferrari.
The “Great Circus” is an ecosystem in which a sort of wild natural selection reigns. Rivola grew up there professionally, so he knows the competition and its most positive aspects well. “I am one of the people who sponsored the hiring of Davide Brivio by Trackhouse. His CV speaks for itself. I like working with capable people like him, who can potentially be even better than me. This is the philosophy that should be present in the whole team”, says the Italian.
Prior to Trackhouse's confirmation of Brivio's hiring, rumors had suggested that the former Suzuki manager, who has spent recent years with the Alpine Formula 1 team, could move to Honda. Precisely for this reason, some believe that the position he holds may not be suited to his medium-term ambitions. “I explicitly asked that Davide be hired for the medium term, never for the short term. I want him to be at our side to help Trackhouse and Aprilia grow. I made sure they eliminated the fear that he might leave”, concludes Rivola.
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