Aprilia Racing has reportedly taken drastic measures after an incident in the Red Bull Ring pit lane, where one of its engineers was caught scanning several MotoGP bikes parked in front of the pits, using an iPad equipped with LiDAR technology. This tool allows objects and surfaces to be scanned with 3D laser precision. The scene quickly went viral on social media, particularly due to the outraged reaction of Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Lenovo Team Principal.
During the incident, Tardozzi confronted the engineer ofAprilia, visibly furious, after seeing it scanner one of the Desmosedici GP23s of the VR46 team. Tardozzi questioned the engineer about his behavior, but he chose to remain silent, leaving the scene without offering an apology.
In a statement to Speedweek.com, Tardozzi described the scene: “ He went around all the motorcycles with the iPad, sometimes 10 centimeters away and in front of everyone “, adding that they had been able to verify the use of LiDAR technology thanks to to a video of the iPad screen captured by a member of his team.
While technological espionage is relatively common in the MotoGP universe, there is an unspoken understanding of where the lines should not be crossed. Discreet photos or videos taken in the pitlane are tolerated, but the act of scanning motorcycles so blatantly was seen as an act of provocation and violation of trust between the teams.
Faced with pressure and criticism, Aprilia reportedly decided to fire the engineer involved, stressing that the latter had acted independently and without the approval of the Italian factory. Davide Tardozzi confirmed that the leaders of Aprilia Including Roman Albesian, the technical manager, were not aware of the incident: ” the Aprilia bosses knew nothing, Romano Albesiano had no idea “, said Tardozzi.
Tardozzi had also expressed his wish to see Aprilia to dissociate oneself from this engineer for his unprofessional behavior: “ I hope they fire this guy. The management team didn’t know anything. Romano was also very upset. He’s not stupid enough to send someone in an Aprilia t-shirt to do scans. “, he added.
The case highlights the growing tensions and fierce competition in MotoGP, a world where every technical detail can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
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