Aprilia out of all three MotoGP classes?
Aprilia - which alongside fellow Piaggio brand Derbi currently dominates the 125cc class (the bikes are all but identical) - has ruled out participation in the forthcoming Moto3 category.
Credit: Repsol Media
Moto3, which will consist of 250cc four-stroke engines, will replace the 125cc two-strokes from 2012.
Unlike Moto2, Moto3 will not have a single engine supplier, but Aprilia still won't be taking part.
"No, we don't have any single cylinder Motocross engines in our range, and we have no intention of adding one at the moment. So we will not be in Moto3," racing boss Gigi Dall'Igna told
GPone.com.
A return by Aprilia to the premier MotoGP class under the still to-be-confirmed 1000cc rules remains a possibility, but is far from certain.
"At the moment more 'no' than 'yes'," said Dall'Igna, "We are certainly interested, but things still aren't in place. Our motor is very strong, but it is not ready yet. And then putting together a complete and competitive bike is another story. Clearly our aim at the moment is to stay in Superbike, which is strategically important for supporting the production and sales of our sportsbikes. There is still time for MotoGP in the future."
All of which means that Aprilia - which looks set to win its first World Superbike title with Max Biaggi this season - might not have any official presence in the grand prix paddock after the end of 2011.
In the early years of the 990cc era, Aprilia had a factory presence in all three grand prix classes. Then came the withdraw from MotoGP, followed by the end of 250cc racing in 2009 and a late decision to abandon its proposed Moto2 chassis.
Click here to read the full GPone.com interview.
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aprilia, moto3, moto2, motogp, 125cc