Aprilia boss hits out at Ducati: “Regulate the amount of bikes per team!”
Ducati will power four teams in the MotoGP 2023 season - they will have double the riders that Aprilia can count on, while Yamaha will have only two.
It took Ducati 15 years after Casey Stoner to crown a MotoGP champion but, last season, Francesco Bagnaia gave them something to shout about at last.
"We should seek a compromise,” Rivola demanded via Speedweek.
"I agree that a maximum number of teams per manufacturer should be set.”
He joked: "If I were at Ducati, I would have all tests banned! Because they have so many motorcycles on the track at the races!”
He added: "If you drive alone, you don't have a show.
“MotoGP is not supposed to be a one-make cup. Almost half of the starting places are already occupied by one make.”
The technical regulations are fixed until 2026 so Ducati, with Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini in their factory line-up plus three more teams under their control, will hope for an era of dominance.
Then-champion Fabio Quartararo’s title hopes faded last season as the lone Yamaha bike swamped by a sea of red rivals. This year, Yamaha will have only two riders.
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro finished fourth last season. The oldest rider on the grid is alongside Maverick Vinales while Aprilia will also have their customer team, RNF.
The preseason Portimao test is next week - Ducati’s numerical advantage means they are able to test machinery via more bikes and more riders than their rival teams.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
