Aprilia says it is “not in a rush” to put its 2027 MotoGP bike on track, revealing that a first test with a “hybrid prototype” is scheduled towards the end of April.
MotoGP’s five manufacturers are increasingly shifting focus towards next year, as they ramp up their preparations for one of the biggest technical overhauls in the series’ history.
KTM became the first marque to run its 850cc bike in December, with Yamaha and Honda following its lead over the winter break. Last week, Ducati’s test rider Michele Pirro shook down the GP27 at Misano, leaving Aprilia as the only manufacturer yet to test its upcoming challenger.
While there was a possibility that Aprilia would debut the RS-GP27 as part of a private test with KTM and Yamaha earlier this month, that outing did not materialise.
The Noale-based factory is now expected to run an early version of its 2027 MotoGP bike at Jerez on 30 April and 1 May, just days after the Spanish GP at the same track.
However, Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola is not concerned by the delayed rollout of the bike, as he expressed confidence in the team’s ability to deliver a competitive package from the outset.
“We’re definitely not in a hurry — and not because we don’t care about 2027. Simply put, we’re not in a rush,” Rivola told Motorsport.com Italy.
“After the Jerez [race] week, in a private test, we’ll start running the 2027 bike on track, but it’s more of a hybrid prototype to gather some data on engine management and correlation with the dyno.
“We’re not in a hurry partly because we don’t want to reveal our cards, but also because one of Aprilia’s strengths today is – let’s say it in a cool way – ‘time to market’. From the moment we have an idea to when we put it on track, we’re very fast. That’s one of the secrets of performance in anything: speed in decision-making and execution.
“Every year, I’ve always said our best bike would be the next one, simply because I’ve always seen a growing company. And if the company grows, the result – our bike – will inevitably be better than the previous year.”
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
The RS-GP has emerged as the fastest bike in MotoGP this year, with factory rider Marco Bezzecchi dominating the opening three grands prix across Asia and the Americas.
While Aprilia has made gains across the board, it remains the lead innovator in aerodynamics – an area that has become a key battleground for development in MotoGP.
However, the 2027 regulations are specifically designed to cut down on aero, with the aim of making it easier for riders to follow each other on track.
Rivola believes aero will continue to play an important role in the coming years, despite the restrictions placed by the regulations.
“It will have a different importance because we’ll simply have a smaller fairing to work with,” he said. “But I’m one of those who believes it will still be extremely important.
“We clearly want to maintain our technological leadership in this area, so it’s about having the courage to keep inventing something that can bring results – and maybe be transferred to production bikes.”
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