Aprilia Faces Setbacks with 2024 MotoGP Bike: CEO Rivola Admits ‘We’re Doing Something Wrong

Aprilia ready to face Q1 sessions, admits issues with 2024 MotoGP bike

“We’re making mistakes”

Massimo Rivola, the CEO of Aprilia, acknowledges that his MotoGP team is encountering difficulties with their 2024 motorcycle. He is prepared to face the possibility of appearing in Q1 sessions during practice to identify and resolve these problems.

These remarks follow Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro raising concerns about Aprilia's performance during the British Grand Prix last weekend.

Vinales believed that Aprilia's performance had "diminished" during the first half of the season. He finished Sunday’s race in 13th place because of significant tyre degradation, while pole-sitter Espargaro was only able to secure a sixth-place finish for the same reason.

In an interview with Sky Italy, Rivola observed that while the RS-GP continues to perform well in shorter races, it has noticeably declined in performance during grand prix events.

"Ever since we came back to Europe, Aprilia has consistently secured a spot on the front row of the starting grid," Rivola noted, pointing to Aprilia's streak of seven consecutive front row starts starting from the Spanish Grand Prix.

"The RS-GP performs admirably in short bursts, but during longer races, starting from the halfway mark, our competitiveness declines."

"There is a problem with performance management concerning tire wear."

"We absolutely need to prioritize that, perhaps even more so than weekend planning, even if it means occasionally risking issues in Q1."

“It seems likely that we will need to collect additional information on Friday.”

"When we begin the grand prix, we are immediately fast on the track, but we usually face problems with the tires as the race continues."

"It seems like we are dealing with issues related to the setup, mechanics, and electronics."

"We need to consider how we handle the weekend. Perhaps we should attempt to extend the tire's lifespan by focusing on those small details that can make a significant impact."

"In the British Grand Prix, our time improved by 40 seconds compared to last year, which is a huge difference. However, we still ended up 10 seconds behind the winner."

Indeed, we are just 2.5 seconds behind Pecco Bagnaia, but it's worth noting that this track has historically favored Aprilia. We've demonstrated this through our overall performance.

"We must be making mistakes. Alternatively, Ducati is excelling, especially since we resumed racing on European tracks."

“They utilized the Montmelo test, known for its low-grip conditions, to progress. They executed it successfully.”

Aprilia kicked off the 2024 season impressively, with Espargaro securing third place in the Qatar sprint, while Vinales clinched victory in the Portugal sprint and achieved a double win in America.

However, since that time, Aprilia has only achieved five more podium finishes, all of which occurred in the shorter races.

Following 10 races, it trails Ducati by 160 points in second place and maintains a slim 14-point lead over KTM.

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