Aprilia is gearing up for a significant transformation in its MotoGP program for 2025, as the team prepares to welcome several new riders and a new technical director. Among the notable additions are current championship leader Jorge Martin, three-time grand prix winner Marco Bezzecchi, and rookie racer Ai Ogura from Trackhouse.
As the team embraces this influx of talent, it will bid farewell to longtime technical director Romano Albesiano. He will be succeeded by Fabiano Sterlacchini, a former engineer at Ducati and KTM, marking a pivotal shift in Aprilia’s technical leadership.
This restructuring comes at a time when Aprilia’s performance has waned during the 2024 season. After a promising start with Maverick Vinales securing victory in the season opener in America, the team has struggled to maintain that momentum. Aleix Espargaro, one of Aprilia’s leading riders, has noted that competitors have made more significant advancements this year, pointing to a gap in performance.
“I had the feeling that our rivals improved a lot from 2023 to 2024,” Espargaro stated. “If you check our lap times, they are more or less exactly the same—maybe one tenth up, one tenth down compared to 2023. It means that the bike is essentially unchanged, and that’s not enough to compete for victories.”
Espargaro emphasized the need for Aprilia to enhance several key areas of the RS-GP, specifically the engine’s performance and the bike’s stability and agility. He expressed concern that pushing for faster lap times has led to a loss of rear grip, indicating that the team has reached the limits of their current setup. “It looks like we are not able to make the tyres work the way we want,” he added.
In contrast, Vinales does not share Espargaro’s concerns about the impact of Michelin’s 2024 rear tire, instead attributing the team’s challenges to aerodynamic issues. “Last year’s bike had a strong area in corner speed,” Vinales explained. “But this year, I don’t see any standout strengths. While we were really fast on tracks where turning wasn’t crucial, this year we lack that advantage, the aerodynamics are very different, changing the bike’s behavior and balance.”
As Aprilia looks to regain its competitive edge, the integration of Martin, Bezzecchi, and Ogura will be crucial. With a clear need for improvement in both engineering and performance, the team faces the challenge of evolving its motorcycle to meet the demands of the increasingly competitive MotoGP landscape. The upcoming season will be a critical test for Aprilia as it strives to close the gap with its rivals and position itself as a formidable contender on the grid.
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