Massimo Rivola responds to 850cc MotoGP speed concerns: 'What's done is done'
Aprilia and Ducati's MotoGP bosses are sticking to a diplomatic if unconvincing line in the face of suggestions that the costly switch to 850cc engines for 2027 has already failed in terms of reducing corner speeds. On Thursday, Massimo Rivola (Aprilia) and Gigi Dall'Igna (Ducati) appeared in a special press conference ahead of this weekend's Indonesian Grand Prix. In it, they were asked for ...…
Massimo Rivola and Gigi Dall'Igna, representing Aprilia and Ducati respectively, addressed concerns about the new 850cc MotoGP bikes registering similar lap times to the existing 1000cc machines. They emphasized that focusing on the future rather than the past was crucial. Rivola stated, "It's better to look forward rather than backwards, since it's done."
He pointed out that straight-line speed was expected to decrease with the reduced engine capacity, even if lap times remained fast. Ducati's Gigi Dall'Igna echoed this sentiment, stating that the main safety benefit was reducing the speed at which riders approach corners. Both acknowledged that the tyre performance was the key factor in cornering, and Pirelli, the new tyre supplier, could potentially still make adjustments to the rubber's characteristics.
Written by urgent.news from Motorsport.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
