Ducati uncomfortable with Aprilia CRT project

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Aprilia’s decision to supply a new 1000cc MotoGP bike based on its RSV4 World Superbike machine is not in the spirit of new CRT rules introduced for 2012, according to senior Ducati boss Claudio Domenicali.

The CRT rules were devised to bolster dwindling grid numbers by permitting independent teams unable to lease factory prototypes at extortionate prices to develop their own 1000cc projects at a more affordable cost.

A production-based engine like the BMW S1000R or Honda CBR1000RR could be tuned and housed in a prototype chassis and allowed to race in MotoGP.

Nine CRT bikes will make up the 21-strong entry in 2012. One will be the Suter/BMW project involving Colin Edwards while the BQR squad will run a tweaked Kawasaki ZX-10R motor in a British-built FTR frame.

Other new projects also include a Honda CBR1000RR-powered machine run by Fausto Gresini. Dutch experts Ten Kate will tune that motor and FTR will build the frame.

Much of the focus though on the new CRT entries has fallen on Aprilia.

It is likely to sell a complete machine but there are fears that a bike developed and sold by a factory should be classed as a prototype and not a CRT.

By providing a CRT bike, Aprilia will be able to use 24 litres of fuel and 12 engines. That is three more litres and six more engines than the restrictions currently in place for the factory bikes entered by Ducati, Honda and Yamaha.

Speaking at Ducati’s 2012 team launch at the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort in Italy, Domenicali gave his thoughts on the Aprilia situation and said: “It is on the limit or a bit on the other side of the limit. It is not the spirit of CRT.

"CRT was born to make the possibility for someone to buy an engine and to tune it and build a prototype. But here we are in front of a superbike machine just painted in a different colour and saying it is a MotoGP bike.

"I don’t think this is very nice but let’s say for one year only we consider it is not a big problem.

"But if we end up with a championship in which every motorcycle manufacturer races with a superbike, it is a different animal and not anymore prototype. And that is a bit of a problem.”

An Aprilia hasn’t raced in MotoGP since the Italian factory quit at the end of 2004 having struggled to make its RS3 Cube 990cc machine competitive.

The highest profile team running an Aprilia in 2012 is the Spanish-based Aspar squad, though it hasn’t confirmed yet whether it will use its own chassis.

British team owner Paul Bird will also use an RSV4 motor with James Ellison.

source: MCN

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CRT: Aprilia vs BMW

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Less than three weeks at Christmas, but still was not published an official list of starters at the 2012 world championship . You perfectly know the names of the 6 6 riders who will compete with the MotoGP "factory" of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati, and the remaining six versions that take on a "Satellite", but much remains to be clarified with regard to team CRT.

In recent weeks, in fact, were made ​​official the names of Randy De Puniet and Alex Espargarò regarding the Aspar team. The team chose Speedmaster Anthony West , the team at Misano Forward already has signed with Colin Edwards, who acted as a bridgehead, but the other teams that should compete among the "Claiming Rule Team" have not yet been officially exposed. And with the publicity of the time registered in the last test will be difficult to sell the participation of the sponsors that will consider the CRT little more than a filler on the grid.

here are some 17 riders for the championship 2012, so the pioneers of the new era are De Puniet and West Espargarò with Aprilia, Edwards the Suter-BMW and Honda CBR Pyrrhus with the Gresini team.

Surely more will be added, but that means two things: that you are struggling to find money ... and that the seat may be for sale. That is, the driver will be called upon to contribute to the cause. Besides, this is what is apparent from ' self-published their own set up by West.

For this we did a little 'smile the news that the Tech 3 rider Hervé Poncharal would be to build its own chassis to compete in the future in their own CRT. The French team, in fact, is currently under contract with Yamaha, but the obstacle is this: in fact, a frame is built around an engine, and before you decide this, then that one. Stating that in the middle of next season, the Tech 3 will be on the track means that you have already chosen the engine ...

For the record, it seems that Yamaha has proposed the engine of his R1 Superbike at a price you think impossible ... why?

source: GP One

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Aspar confirms Aprilia deal for 2012

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Spain’s high-profile Aspar squad has officially confirmed it plans to race in the 2012 MotoGP world championship with an Aprilia RSV4-powered 1000cc project.

The team has also confirmed the signing of French rider Randy de Puniet, who tested a hybrid Aprilia machine for two days at the Jerez track in Spain last week.

Former Pramac Ducati rider Aleix Espargaro will be the team’s second rider having initially planned to race for the Aspar Moto2 squad.

Aspar will race under the new CRT rules, which allow teams to tune production engines like the Aprilia RSV4 to race in a prototype chassis.

The Aspar announcement only makes reference to the fact that the team will use Aprilia’s engine next season, without stating which chassis it will run. But it is expected that Aprilia will make a complete bike available for lease.

The Aprilia CRT deal comes after Aspar boss Jorge Martinez was forced to abandon plans to lease two factory Ducati GP12 machines in 2012 because of budget issues.

The former 125GP world champion said: “We are really happy because we find ourselves with a brand new challenge ahead of us and we have full faith that CRT is the future of MotoGP, which is why we are amongst the first to join this initiative.

"As a team we continue to grow and after having a single rider for our first two seasons in MotoGP we will now have two in Randy de Puniet and Aleix Espargaró. I am pleased to welcome Randy back to the team; he was already with us back in 2005 and we have good memories. Aleix was also with us in 2009 although it was only for two races.

"We are sure that this will be a successful project with the riders we have but also with the engine supplier, which will be Aprilia. We always wanted to stick with them for this project because of the fabulous relationship we have with them and their pedigree in the smaller classes.

"Our objective this season is to be the best CRT team and to prepare for another step forward in 2013".

The Aspar deal means at least three CRT projects will run Aprilia engines with British team boss Paul Bird planning to use an RSV4 motor for James Ellison.

source: MCN

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