Aprilia presented a revised livery for the 2022 MotoGP season upon the launch of RS-GP in an online presentation.
Going by the online trend, Aprilia are the latest to showcase its 2022 MotoGP machinery with the RS-GP sporting a revised livery as black colour takes centerstage alongside florescent red whereby the manufacturer’s name is written on white background.
The black is now the main livery colour for Aprilia with less of other colours, as they start a new journey being a factory team after parting ways with Gresini Racing, who are now an independent outfit with Ducati.
‘Team captain’ Aleix Espargaro will lead the team with Maverick Vinales getting a full year after switching over to Aprilia last year from Yamaha. This resulted in the demotion of Lorenzo Savadori, who becomes the official test and reserve rider of the team.
“I can’t wait to get back on the track with my team,” said Espargaro. “After many years together, they are no longer just mechs and techs. They are truly part of my family and, from that point of view, the winter break always seems too long. I’m extremely pumped up.
“The years may pass, but I am still just as hungry as I was when I began and I’m at the top of my game physically. For the first tests, I chose a helmet with graphics dedicated to all Aprilia’s fist podiums in the various classes, including the one we earned together at Silverstone. It seems like the right way to kick off the season and pay tribute to this brand’s great racing heritage. The goal is obviously to add more images to this gallery.”
His new teammate Vinales noted: “From my first moment on this team, I realised that I had been chosen for a purpose – to take Aprilia to the top of modern MotoGP. This is the goal we are all working towards. I don’t think it’s fair to make predictions. I prefer focusing on the job at hand and on preparing because I believe that results are a direct consequence of our efforts.
“We had the great opportunity of getting to know one another ahead of time, doing a few races together and beginning to understand our reciprocal needs. We’ll need to exploit this advantage as much as possible. I am highly satisfied with the job the racing department did over the winter and now all that’s left is to show our progress on the track.”
At the same time, test rider Savadori added: “The role of tester, also considering the fact that I’ll do some wild card races, is extremely important in MotoGP. Everyone at Aprilia is working hard to improve the RS-GP even more. We are competing in a category where continued investments of time, resources, and efforts is indispensable.
“The overall level of our rivals is extremely high, but we are growing and we need to continue this trend. I’ve been part of this project since 2020 and I have grown along with the RS-GP, a bike that has consistently and progressively improved, and I’m confident that it will take another step forward in this new season.”
On the team side, Massimo Rivola said: “This is an important season. We are coming into MotoGP as a Factory Team precisely on the thirtieth anniversary of Aprilia’s first World Championship GP Motorcycle Racing title, won with Alex Gramigni. This is a great responsibility, but also an injection of extra motivation. The racing department is now a group of highly skilled individuals who work extremely well together and with a strong Italian footprint that we are extremely proud of.
“We are working well and the competitiveness we demonstrated last year must be just the starting points. The ’21 season was a good one, but we need to forget about it straight away and look forward. In my opinion, the 2022 RS-GP will be the most beautiful bike on the grid and I hope that it will also be one of the fastest. I think we have done some significant work, certain of the direction we have taken. We have three top-level riders: the “team captain” Aleix and a great champion like Maverick who we are getting to know better and better every day. Lorenzo will be our test rider. In spite of a season conditioned by injuries, he demonstrated significant growth and he will be a big help in developing the project.”
And team manager Romano Albesiano added: “The RS-GP 2022 is a profound evolution of the outstanding base used in 2021. We focused on the main performance areas. The engine has undergone significant internal changes, maintaining the previous layout. The aerodynamics are constantly evolving and the chassis architecture and software areas have been revamped with the goal of improving important aspects such as braking, acceleration and the starting strategy.
“We have three riders with very different characteristics, both physically and in terms of riding style, and that means that we are able to develop a bike which is effective in a wider range of needs. In recent years, we have seen an uptick in performance, including our own, which is why we worked particularly hard during the winter break. I’m confident that we will have good cards to play in the 2022 championship season.”
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