In MotoGP, each rider, each engineer, has their own vision of the perfect Motorcycle. But at Aprilia, Massimo Rivola, the CEO of the Noale brand, is trying to establish another dynamic.
In the ultra-competitive world of MotoGP, the relationship between engineers and riders plays a key role in the development of motorcycles. However, Massimo RivolaPDG
d’Aprilia Racingwarns against the risk of blindly following driver preferences, to the detriment of overall performance.
In an interview with Crash.net,
Rival explained that drivers can sometimes direct engineers in technical directions that are not necessarily the most effective on the track… “ I think sometimes riders point us in a direction to get, let's say, the bike which is better for them to ridewhich is not necessarily the fastest on the track,” declared the Italian leader.
According to him, tailoring the bike to the rider's preferences may seem logical on paper, but it doesn't always guarantee results. He insists on the need to rely on objective data and a clear vision of technical development.
Massimo Rivola: sometimes we had to be quite firm in our beliefs »
« Sometimes we had to be quite firm in our beliefs and encourage them to keep trying something they might not like, but we know is faster,” he added.
With
Jorge Martin et Marco Bezzecchi in the official team
Aprilia in 2025, Rival knows that managing rider expectations while remaining true to the brand's technical philosophy will be crucial. Although
Ducati is the dominant manufacturer in MotoGP, some observers believe thatAprilia has technical advantages in several key areas.
By combining innovation, expertise and strategic management of driver feedback, Noale's brand appears well placed to seriously challenge its rivals in the seasons to come.
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