Aprilia confident it has a "perfectly legal" aero package

A mysterious aerodynamic system appeared on the RS-GP cars in Buriram, on the sidelines of the Thai Grand Prix. MotoGPTwo ducts have indeed appeared on the upper fairing of the motorcycle. These ducts are closed by the rider's forearms when the bike is in a tucked position on a straightaway. This innovation redirects the airflow, reducing drag to optimize top speed. When open, these ducts help the ground effect increase downforce in corners. A perfect compromise that circumvents the ban on active aerodynamics in MotoGP.

This revamped F-Duct is reminiscent of McLaren en F1Woking had introduced a similar evolution on its car In 2010, an air intake blocked by the driver produced the same effects. However, this was banned the following season due to safety concerns and questions about its legality.

A question then arises: will Aprilia be held back in the same way during the season? On this subject, Massimo Rivola is initially amused by the interest shown by the entire paddock in the new RS-GP: "I saw many of you, photographers and journalists, very happy to come and look at the motorcycle up close.""The Italian leader is having fun in front of the media present in Thailand."

In motorsport, when a team finds a way to circumvent the regulations, the rest of the field is quick to challenge its legality. However, Rivola remains confident regarding the legality of these new aerodynamic appendages. "It's perfectly legal. I'm very relaxed. If they want to waste time on this, that's fine with me. It means they're not focusing on more important things.""He then blurted out, 'I have no doubt that my competitors will prefer to draw inspiration from this discovery.'" "If they copy us, it won't be the first time."

Four factory machines at Aprilia

This evolution paid off in Thailand, with four Aprilias finishing in the top 5, giving the brand its best result ever. Providing identical machines to each of its riders, Massimo Rivola announced that Noale is already working on details to optimize future races, without neglecting the riders of Trackhouse Racing, its satellite team.

“All the riders have the new parts, but there might be something different on one bike or another. If someone isn’t convinced, we prefer to wait. There are things on the bike that even Jorge [Martín] doesn’t have, for example. There are things on Marco [Bezzecchi]’s bike that Ai [Ogura] doesn’t have. So it’s a combination.”

He pursues : "What we can see in terms of top speed is that Raúl is a little slower than the other three. Perhaps, from an aerodynamic point of view, we need to better check his position on the bike, his weight, his physique. These are small details. We focus on the details. The details make the difference." A philosophy that allows Aprilia to conclude the first weekend of competition at the top of the Manufacturers' Championship, ahead of KTM and Ducati.

A factory in constant progress

Borgo Panigale, for its part, has opted for a different approach, leaving its riders to choose between the two aerodynamic packages. However, at the moment, it has more riders struggling with their Desmosedici GPs than anything else. This is a situation Massimo Rivola feared would arise at Aprilia.

“We’ve pushed hard on the aerodynamics, adds Rivola. You can see that the shape of the bike is quite different compared to last year. And what I like most is that, knowing how difficult it is to get riders to accept a new aerodynamic package, every time we introduce something in that area, it works. That means our designs are working well.

It remains to be seen whether Aprilia will manage to stay on course while Ducati will do everything to avoid falling behind its rival. In any case, Noale has gained confidence and is no longer afraid to show its ambitions. "Our way of working is becoming more and more efficient. As I've said before, and I'll say it again, every year we become a better factory. If you're a better factory, then you'll perform better." The next act of this duel will take place in Brazil on March 22nd.

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