Aprilia’s past and present meet today in Misano, on the occasion of the Aprilia All Stars, the great celebration of the Noale manufacturer. A magical moment for all fans, but also for those who like it Roman Albesian it is an integral part of the history of the Venetian manufacturer.
“Walking in the pitlane we saw almost all the bikes in Aprilia’s racing history and it’s wonderful. When a manufacturer has a history of this kind it is right to enhance it and let all the fans and enthusiasts participate in it. It’s a wonderful moment.” the technical director of Aprilia Racing told usbefore talking to us about the moment the Venetian manufacturer is experiencing in MotoGP.
This is a special edition for Aprilia, because it will be the last with Captain Aleix Espargaró.
“Aleix has given us a lot in recent years. He is a very fast rider who I respect a lot, because he always gave 100% every time he lowered the visor, with generosity and incredible dedication. He has always improved over the years and has left us and leaves us a lot, even on an emotional level. It’s beautiful to feel his bond with us and for me he is like a little brother, much younger than me.”
How important was Aleix for the development of the Aprilia RS-GP?
“He followed the entire development from the first project to the evolution from the narrow V four-cylinder engine to the 90° V4, through to the arrival of aerodynamics, and he has always been a point of reference. The positive thing about Aleix is that we always knew that what he got from the bike was the best that could be achieved and this is fundamental for a technician, because you have a clear gauge of the potential of what you do and the improvements you introduce.”
You’ve always said that you would like a rider from Ducati and next year it will be Jorge Martin who will take over from his compatriot.
“Ducati is definitely the reference at the moment. We came very close and on some occasions we even surpassed it, but having a rider who comes from a top level official bike is very important and then, what a rider! If the theme was to replace the great loss of Aleix, it was done in the best way.”.
Jorge’s first contact with Aprilia will be very important. What do you expect?
“In this MotoGP, where there is very little possibility of testing with the official riders, it is essential to start well. I expect that he will like our bike and adapt to it quite well. It won’t be a fully operational process immediately, it will take a little while, but I hope and believe little.”
With the introduction of the new regulation in 2027, you will have to work on two projects at the same time.
“We have all already started, because the change is so radical that we need to be prepared and go through an important and long pre-race development process. Carrying out two projects in parallel is very challenging for companies and these technical regulatory changes will have a major impact on the budget, but that is how it is and we must find the right way to distribute resources across the two projects.”
Returning to the present, are you satisfied with this first part of the season?
“We have had some exceptional exploits and are generally very strong in qualifying and in the Sprints. At times we were very strong in the race, but we need to improve our management of the second part of the race, where we suffered a bit on some occasions. The start is also good but the level still needs to be stabilised, but I’m satisfied. I could be more, but I’m satisfied.”
