MotoGP: Dorna asks Aprilia to officially return, while no one wants Yamaha engines

We are only at the seventh race of the MotoGP but in the paddock there is already incessant talk about what will happen next year. As revealed by Motosprint, Two pieces of news arrive from Assen in view of 2014: the first is that Dorna asked Aprilia to take to the track officiallyand as a builder from next year, while the second is that Yamaha has not yet found any private team interested in leasing its very expensive engines.

As for Aprilia, it seems that Dorna, in order to convince the Noale manufacturer to officially return to the track from next year, has offered various regulatory benefits: 22 liter tank instead of 20, the possibility of using 9 engines instead of 5 for the entire championship, and the use of the unique Marelli control unit but with software created in-house. Aprilia, which returned to MotoGP last year through the CRTs with Art, would be thinking about it but for now everything has been blocked by the MSMA, the teams association which at Assen stated that the exemptions made to entice the 'Aprilias are all fine except for the two extra liters in the tank. However, it will be difficult for Aprilia to abandon MotoGP next year also because aAt Assen the rule that allowed a private team to purchase the engine of a CRT for just 20.000 euros was abolished, thus allowing Aprilia to bring the new 120.000 euro "evolution" engine to the track. What would be the point of investing in a new engine when you have no long-term plans?

Assen was also an important event for Yamaha had indicated in the Dutch race the last day for a private team to order their engines for the next year. Instead, Lin Jarvis stated that the teams will have time until the next Sachsenring GP, but for now there is certainly no queue in front of his office. In fact, up to now no team has asked for Yamaha engines and the reason is simple, 800.000 euros for leasing just the engine doesn't convince anyone, also because Honda with just over a million gives you the complete motorbike for sale (not leasing).

Photos: Alex Farinelli