Ducati currently has eight bikes in the MotoGP grid – two from the factory team and six from three satellite teams. Meanwhile, in 2023, Aprilia had, for the first time, an independent team, expanding its presence on the grid.
Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia Racing, acknowledged the importance of the quantity of bikes for the development of the motorcycle, particularly in Ducati’s case, stating to journalist Giovanni Zamagni: ‘Having more riders, not just one, but three more, provides more information, and it’s more important to make it easier for everyone. I think Ducati made a big step because of the work, the ability, etc.. But they also gathered information from many riders on many bikes; eight bikes are a huge advantage’.
That said, the Italian criticized Dorna for allowing Ducati to have a total of eight bikes in MotoGP, especially considering the current scenario in the premier class: ‘I believe it’s a mistake from Dorna to allow Ducati to have eight bikes, and I say it publicly. In the past, it happened this way, but there wasn’t this gap. The level of today’s MotoGP is not the same as five years ago; European factories have made a huge step: aerodynamics started resembling Formula 1… which isn’t necessarily good. Moving away from the traditional, MotoGP should be something unique, an aerodynamics with two wheels. Then, it’s true that the show must be a priority; aerodynamics is one of the limits’.