This is the new tail section that Marco Bezzecchi debuted on the Aprilia

Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi used his strong feel for development work to evaluate a new tail unit at the Red Bull Ring, taking responsibility for advancing the RS-GP’s evolution alongside test rider Lorenzo Savadori. Jorge Martin will assess the new solution at a later stage in MotoGP.

Despite focus shifting on the new 850cc ruleset, Aprilia is still investing on its current RS-GP26. The Noale team wants to play all its cards in the championship fight against Ducati’s Marc Marquez, with the team effort crucial to stopping the Spaniard’s charge.

Martin remains at the top of the riders’ standings, just 12 points ahead of reigning champion Marquez, while Bezzecchi is third on the other RS-GP, 42 points off the lead.

The Italian team is the only one with the ability to adapt its bike to the specific characteristics of individual circuits. Technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini is managing the group working on next year’s 850cc Aprilia while development of the current MotoGP bike continues in parallel.

There is a strong sense of cohesion within Massimo Rivola’s team, even though there is naturally rivalry between its two factory riders. At the Red Bull Ring, Aprilia introduced a new tail unit that was tested exclusively by Bezzecchi. The RS-GP of the Italian rider featured two additional flaps ahead of the supports holding its two-element rear wing.

The two curved profiles create a flow interaction with the rear-wing assembly and draw on concepts previously seen on Marquez’s Ducati Desmosedici. The impression is that they help clean up the airflow around the tail unit, improving aerodynamic efficiency on the straights while providing a small increase in local downforce when the bike is leaned over.

Bezzecchi is regarded within Aprilia as an excellent development tester. He has developed a strong working relationship with test rider Savadori, and his sensitivity to evaluating new solutions has made him the Aprilia rider leading the development of the Noale manufacturer’s ideas since last year, not only in terms of aerodynamics.

Martin, by contrast, was brought up with the philosophy of changing his bike as little as possible once he has found the right level of confidence. The Spaniard has complete faith in Bezzecchi’s ability to develop the RS-GP, but prefers to wait for a later race before adopting solutions that his team-mate has already approved.

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– The Motorsport.com Team

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