Famed Italian bikes maker Aprilia has confirmed its intentions and plans to return into MotoGP in the 2016 season.
In an interview with MotoGP.com recently, Aprilia’s sporting managing director Albesiano Romano confirmed the plans, making it the second manufacturer to return to the premier class after Suzuki’s planned 2015 comeback.
In the interview, Romano clarified that the brand has set its sights only in the premiere MotoGP class for 2016, with no plans just yet to field machines in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes. He also confirmed that Aprilia’s MotoGP race bike development will be linked closely with its SBK Superbike World Championship developments by stating: “Our ‘Open’ bike is closely linked to the Superbike machine, so I would say that there is a good 90% crossover.”
Romano continued by stating that Aprilia will begin testing its MotoGP contender sometime next year and did not rule out the possibility of accepting wild card entries in 2015 prior to its 2016 full-season return. Aprilia’s wildcard appearance will likely happen in the second half of the 2015 season.
Presently, Romano’s division supplies materials and tech for the IodaRacing Project, with Romano acknowledging the importance of said technical partnership towards its comeback. The only thing left now is for Aprilia to appoint its riders to which Romano states that there are “plenty of options.”
Source: Asphaltandrubber and MotoGP.com
