Aprilia also had no chance against Ducati in the long race at Silverstone – Head of Motorsport Massimo Rivola has clear words on the situation
“After qualifying, it looked like Aleix was going to win the sprint and the race. And you can see what happened in the end,” was Maverick Vinales’ conclusion at Silverstone. Aprilia had hoped for more in Great Britain.
From pole position, Aleix Espargaro was able to take third place in the sprint. But in the Grand Prix, they once again had no chance against the Ducati superiority. Espargaro finished sixth, ten seconds behind. Vinales finished 13th.
That is why Aprilia Head of Motorsport Massimo Rivola has clear words in view of the current situation. “Since we returned to Europe, Aprilia has often been on the front row of the grid. We are quite good in the sprint, but we are not competitive enough in the long race.”
“There is a problem with the performance management of tire wear,” Rivola believes in an interview with Sky Italy. “We need to focus on that. Maybe it’s also about planning the weekend, even if we take the risk of Q1.”
“We probably need more information on Friday. We are fast straight away, but then we seem to stagnate, especially with the tire problem. I think it’s more about the set-up – mechanical and electronic.”
“But also the format of how we manage the weekend. Maybe we should use the tires more and look for those things that make the difference.” For seven races in a row, only Ducati riders have finished on the podium on Sunday.
After Silverstone, Espargaro and Vinales also addressed the tire issue. They are also of the opinion that Aprilia has not made the progress since Jerez that Ducati has – especially in understanding the new rear tire from Michelin.
Nevertheless, Rivola does not want to see the situation in a completely negative light. “We rode 40 seconds faster than last year,” he points to Espargaro’s race time in Silverstone. “But we are ten seconds off the winner.”
“It’s also true that we were only two and a half seconds down on Bagnaia, but this is a track where the Aprilia has always been fast. But we only show that in the basic performance.”
“We are doing something wrong, or Ducati is doing something particularly well, especially since we came back to Europe,” said Rivola. “I know they had a test in Barcelona where the grip is always low. They made progress there. They are doing well.”
Aprilia is in second place in the manufacturers’ standings at the halfway point of the season. The Italian brand has a 14-point lead over KTM. Realistically, Ducati is no longer within reach for either of them. The lead over the two Japanese brands is big enough
Would it be different with Jorge Martin at the moment?
A lot will change at Aprilia next year. Aleix Espargaro considers his job “done” and is moving to Honda as a test rider. Maverick Vinales goes to Tech3-KTM. Their places are taken by Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi.
“Would it be a different story today with Martin?” Rivola asks a hypothetical question. “It’s clear that we’re counting on him because he’s shown how strong he is in recent years. But Aleix has ridden very well and it has always been a good track for Maverick as well.”
“But it’s a fact that we haven’t put all the pieces of the puzzle together to achieve the expected performance and results. We need to understand how we can improve. “
“It’s true that the tires are much faster this year. We are also faster. These tires have changed the dynamics of the bike a lot.” A puzzle that so far only Ducati seems to have solved completely.
With Martin and Bezzecchi, two Ducati riders will join Aprilia next year, who will also bring important information with them. Martin will also be accompanied by his current crew chief Daniele Romagnoli, who also knows the Desmosedici inside out.
“That’s true, but there’s always the other side of the coin,” says Rivola. “Because we also lose safe performance. Aleix is very strong at Silverstone and set a great lap record [in qualifying].”
“We had hopes of the podium, but it was already clear to us on Friday that fourth place was possible at best. The gap doesn’t fit, it’s too big. We have to improve.” The new aerodynamics were described by the drivers at Silverstone as good progress
