Trackhouse Racing will start the MotoGP season with only Miguel Oliveira having the latest version of the Aprilia RS-GP, while Raúl Fernández will, for now, have the 2023 RS-GP. The Spaniard may also eventually have access to this year’s bike, a decision that will have to take various aspects into consideration.
Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia Racing, told the press: ‘Maybe when you change a bike, sometimes at the beginning the old bike is faster than the new bike – we saw it already. So, maybe Raúl could be faster with this bike. We will decide about the 2024 together with Raúl. We have good options to start sooner or later, but we will decide also thinking about the development of the bike during 2024. Let’s see what’s the best solution, because by regulations you cannot have more than two homologations. So when you move to 2024 is already the second homologation, so maybe you lose the development. We will sit down and discusse that in the best possible way’.
The Italian even acknowledged the scenario of Fernández not wanting to change bikes: ‘We will decide together with Raúl when is the right time to change the bike. Maybe he falls in love with the 2023 and doesn’t want to change it – who knows? Let’s see at the beginning of the season if the 2024 is better than the 2023 – as we expect – or not. But I think we need a bit of time also to understand the new bike’.