The steps Aprilia needs to make for Jorge Martin’s arrival in MotoGP 2025
Current riders outline where RS-GP needs to improve
Aprilia is getting set for a major change to its MotoGP programme in 2025 as it welcomes a raft of new riders and bids farewell to its current technical director.
The Noale brand will take on three new riders in 2025 in the form of current championship leader Jorge Martin, three-time grand prix winner Marco Bezzecchi and rookie racer Ai Ogura at Trackhouse.
Aprilia will also be parting ways with longtime technical director Romano Albesiano, with former Ducati and KTM engineer Fabiano Sterlacchini taking his place.
All of this comes as Aprilia’s form has dipped across the 2024 season, having started off so strongly with victory in America with Maverick Vinales.
Aleix Espargaro believes Aprilia’s rivals have made bigger steps than it has from last year, and highlights numerous areas where the RS-GP needs to improve.
“I had the feeling that our rivals improved a lot from 23 to 24,” he said.
“You just need to see the lap records. If you check our lap times, they are more or less exactly the same, [maybe] one tenth up, one tenth down than 23.
“It means that the bike is the same, more or less, and it’s not enough to fight for the victories.
“So, Aprilia next year needs to improve the engine, that’s for sure, and Aprilia also needs to improve the stability of the bike and the agility.
“As soon as you push and you try to arrive at the lap times that the first riders are doing, you lose the rear grip quite easily.
“So, my feeling is that we are on the limit of this bike. Looks like we are not able to make the tyres work the way we want.”
Vinales doesn’t echo Espargaro’s thoughts that Michelin’s 2024 rear tyre has proved a hindrance to Aprilia, and instead points at the aerodynamics of the bike.
“Last year’s bike, one really strong area was the corner speed,” he added.
“But this year I don’t see any point very strong, but I see that you can be correct in all the points.
“Like last year for example, we had a lot of corner speed but the turning was difficult.
“So, in tracks where you don’t need to turn, we were really, really fast.
“This year, we don’t have this. I think it’s the bike. The aerodynamics are very different. It changes the behaviour of the bike and the balance.”
