The factory Aprilia team has unveiled its 2018 MotoGP challenger at a launch event in Italy as it prepares for its fourth season back in the premier class.
The Noale factory returned to MotoGP in 2015 after a decade's absence from the top class, joining forces with the Gresini squad.
Aleix Espargaro remains with the squad for this season, and will be joined by former Pramac Ducati rider Scott Redding, replacing fellow Briton Sam Lowes – who has returned to Moto2 after his two-year deal with Aprilia was terminated midway through 2017.
Aprilia racing manager Romano Albesiano boasts an RS-GP – which retains much of the livery of its predecessor – with a “radically new” chassis, airbox, cooling system and aerodynamic fairing, and is “optimistic” ahead of the new season.
“The 2018 RS-GP is an in-depth optimisation and evolution of the concepts we had on the track last year,” he said.
“The frame is radically new, as is the airbox, the cooling system and the aerodynamics. The new project's first positive step was the popularity with the riders during the winter tests.
“They both noticed straight away how much the bike has grown. This reaction is never a given when you introduce such significant changes, but it makes us optimistic for this new MotoGP season.
“I expect this to be an extremely demanding season. The level has been raised even farther in terms of both the bikes and the riders on the grid.
“On our part, we have all our papers in order to be contenders.”
Aprilia showed promise during its 2017 campaign, with Espargaro equaling the team's best ever premier class result with two sixth-place finishes. However, numerous reliability issues meant the team finished last in the manufacturers' table, behind new entrant KTM.
Testing has been fairly positive for the marque, with the RS-GP's new chassis proving to be a marked improvement.
However, a new engine brought to Malaysia failed to deliver the necessary gains in acceleration and top speed both riders had been seeking. A new motor is expected for the opening race of the year in Qatar next week.
