Aprilia Racing has revealed its 2019 MotoGP bike in brand new colours on the RS-GP ahead of the Qatar test.
The Italian outfit sported the same livery in the Sepang MotoGP test earlier in February with Andrea Iannone, Aleix Espargaro and Bradley Smith taking the RS-GP on a ride – although Iannone had a limited running due to health issues.
With the Qatar test to take place on February 23-25, Aprilia has unveiled a new livery for its 2019 RS-GP bike with has more presence of colour black alongside the usual orange, white, yellow and green.
New Aprilia Racing CEO, Massimo Rivola said: “It’s always risky to talk about expectations before a new season, but it is only natural when it’s an award-winning racing department like Aprilia Racing.
“Our trophy case in and of itself demands constant growth, a collective effort to arrive at a competitive level in MotoGP as well. On my arrival, I found a group with no lack of skill and passion, as well as extraordinary loyalty to the team colours which will be a fundamental part of our project.
“We can count on two extraordinarily talented riders who, although very different from one another, share the same extraordinary passion for this sport. It is no exaggeration to think of us as a ‘David’ against the giants of world motorcycle racing and I have no problem with this comparison since, in the end, David triumphed.”
Espargaro said: “The first tests of this new season were extremely positive. I was fast, I feel at ease astride the 2019 RS-GP and I feel like I still have good margin for growth. From both a technical and a human point of view, I have one of the best teams of my career.
“We have a lot of work to do, but I cannot help being optimistic. With the arrival of Andrea, Bradley and Massimo, we are definitely stronger, so we will have no excuse.” New teammate Iannone added: “We are faced with a big challenge.
“The match of Aprilia with an Italian rider always creates certain expectations, so it’s up to use to channel that into positive pressure. I approached preparation for 2019 calmly. In this sport, teamwork is fundamental and get caught up being in a rush.
“We improved at every outing and, to be honest, I was surprised at how quickly the guys at Aprilia changed the project based on my requests between Jerez and Sepang. We need to keep going like this, improving step by step. The right feeling is there.”
Aprilia’s team manager, Fausto Gresini said: “2019 is undoubtedly an important year for us. The new MotoGP season inevitably brings with it some expectations for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini. The new arrivals, from Massimo Rivola to Andrea Iannone, brought enthusiasm, but also overall reinforcement and reorganisation that, from what we’ve seen so far, seems to have returned encouraging results.
“I’m not forgetting about the Test Team which, with Bradley Smith, is doing an indispensable job for such a young project like Aprilia’s. We still have a long road ahead, but we have the skills and shared goals we need to succeed.”
2019 launches so far: