If there were needed proofs, the 2023 season made it clear that MotoGP bikes are faster than ever. Only last year, lap records were broken at 15 out of the 20 tracks on the calendar. Looking to the future, the idea is to make the bikes slower for safety reasons and to enhance the entertainment factor. This is a topic addressed by the CEO of Aprilia Racing, with three years left before the implementation of a new regulation in 2027.
The Italian said to SPEEDWEEK.com: ‘We have the obligation and the goal of making the bikes slower, for the simple reason that the tracks are not large enough. There are safety concerns, and they need to be respected’.
But it’s not just safety that Rivola is focusing on: ‘I would say that we clearly have to do something for the spectacle, considering devices such as ride-height adjusters and aerodynamics that shorten the braking phase significantly. The shorter the braking phase, the lower the chance of an overtaking maneuver. Making this phase longer will benefit the spectacle. These are the two main objectives’.
Nevertheless, the engineer believes that a MotoGP bike should continue to have very unique and differentiating characteristics: ‘I still think that a MotoGP bike should be like a two-wheeled airplane – something completely different from a normal road bike and something that not everyone can ride’.