For Pol Espargaró, the most interesting takeaway from Assen isn’t just Aprilia’s progress, but the fact that the RS-GP has now reached a level of competitiveness that allows it to be a contender on virtually any track.
According to the former KTM rider—now a test rider and DAZN commentator—the bike from Noale has become a constant in the MotoGP, while the consistency of its riders continues to make the difference.
“What’s clear is that the Aprilia RS-GP is holding its own on every track.”
Espargaró doesn’t see a true leader within the team. Jorge Martin isn’t yet at 100% after his physical issues, Bezzecchi is very fast but continues to alternate between great performances and mistakes, while Ogura and Raul Fernandez are improving race after race.
“Marco Bezzecchi is very fast, but he lacks the consistency that would allow him to stay up in front all the time. Ai Ogura is getting better and better, and Raul Fernandez is also gaining confidence.”
In short, for Pol, the limiting factor today is no longer the RS-GP but the rider.
The only question could arise as early as the Sachsenring. Espargaró explains that Aprilia’s strength stems from a very stable bike with a high need for downforce, which are characteristics that make it particularly effective in fast corners, like those at Assen.
“Here we’ve seen that the Aprilia needs a lot of downforce.”
This is why the German track could become a different kind of litmus test.
“Maybe the Sachsenring will be one of the circuits where it could struggle a bit, especially in the first sector, which isn’t very fast. On low-speed tracks, as we also saw in Hungary, it had some problems.”
Despite this, the overall assessment remains extremely positive.
"The Aprilia is a bike that performs well everywhere. It’s very stable and somewhat reminiscent of the best Ducatis from their golden years."
For Espargaró, therefore, the technical progress of the RS-GP is now evident: the bike has reached the level of the category’s top contenders. To turn this competitiveness into consistent results, however, the riders will need to eliminate errors and find the consistency that has been lacking so far.