Riccardo Boschi is one of the more familiar and respected faces in the Grand Prix paddock. While he’s best known today as the long-time boss of the JK Yamaha Racing team, his involvement in motocross goes back decades — including a fascinating stint as team manager of the ambitious Aprilia MXGP project back in 2009.
In this exclusive interview, Boschi looks back at his time with the revolutionary twin-cylinder Aprilia machine, how his passion project evolved into a long-standing Grand Prix team, and the challenges and rewards of running a private outfit in an increasingly professional paddock. From battling with the best as underdogs to nurturing riders like Isak Gifting, Boschi shares insight from a career that has been built on perseverance, passion and belief.
GateDrop: Ric, let’s go back to 2009 and the Aprilia project — how did that opportunity come about and what was your original role with the team?
Boschi: I was basically the team manager at Aprilia. I took care of organizing all the travel for the engineers and team members, managed the logistics, and made sure the truck was fully equipped with spare parts, special components, tyres. I also handled the training side: for example, Chicco Chiodi used to live in Tuscany and used to train with us pretty often.
GateDrop: The twin cylinder Aprilia was quite different compared to the other bikes in MXGP at the time — what were some of the biggest challenges you faced running that machine in a Grand Prix environment?
Boschi: Aprilia bikes were completely different from the ones I had worked with before. It was a brand-new project and as you can imagine, the challenges with a new bike were many. On top of that, it was a twin-cylinder with a lot of electronics, really way ahead of its time. But as you know, electronics and off-road don’t always go well together. So when there was humidity, water, or mud, some issues would come up. Still, it was an amazing experience working with a manufacturer like Aprilia.
At the beginning, the racing department was based near Varese, but then everything moved to the main factory in Noale, where they had all the resources to really make it work. In fact, the latest versions of the bike were starting to become truly competitive. That same race department is where Superbike was based—and now it’s where MotoGP is—and they had everything needed to push forward such an ambitious project like the twin-cylinder.
Believe it or not, those last bikes were incredibly competitive, and some experienced riders even said they were top-level. Aprilia also developed a replica very close to the factory race bike, called the JK Racing version, which I helped distribute and sell to riders who wanted to buy one.
GateDrop: From your perspective, why do you think the Aprilia project ended? Was it purely performance-related or more a matter of budget and long-term factory commitment?
Boschi: Unfortunately, after three years, the off-road project was shut down by the factory. That included motocross, Supermoto, and the African rally efforts. It was definitely an expensive project, and the bikes hadn’t sold in large numbers. It was a high-end, niche product, and the market just didn’t respond quickly enough, so the company decided to stop with off-road racing.
At that point, we no longer had support from the factory. So I went to Gigi Dall’Igna and proposed that we continue for one more season on our own. And that’s what we did, we ran one more year with very limited resources. No development, just existing bikes, spare parts, and a small budget; about a third of what we had the year before. We raced with Alfie Smith and Loic Leonce, and despite everything being scaled back, we were getting results that were nearly as good as when we had full factory support.
That season was a great experience in its own way, and it left us with some really good memories.
GateDrop: How did the JK Racing team originally form, and what was your goal when you started out?
Boschi: Honestly, my team started almost by chance. I never planned to do this job… I was doing other things, and racing was just a passion for me. I never raced professionally. Maybe that’s why, when my friend Luigi Seguy that I had met in Italy when he raced with TM, asked me for help at the beginning of the 2000s, I said yes. He didn’t have a team and just needed a handlebar, but I offered to buy him bikes in Italy so he could race the World Championship. He bought another bike in France to train, and we just started like that, hoping he would find a team during the season.
But then, at the first race, the Internazionali Italian, he won! That year was amazing, we even won the Brazil GP, beating factory KTM and Honda riders like Langston and Brown, and got on the podium several times. It was just the three of us: me, a mechanic friend, and Luigi. A very small team, but we finished fourth in the World Championship and we were the best Yamaha overall.
After that, Yamaha Motor Europe contacted us and offered bikes, parts, and a budget for the next season. I couldn’t believe it, because the first year we had done everything with almost nothing.
GateDrop: The team has evolved through the years — how would you describe its identity today, and what sets it apart in the MXGP and EMX paddock?
Boschi: Yes, it’s true. The team has grown a lot over the years. This season is actually our 25th season in the MXGP World Championship. We’ve always tried to take small steps, learning and improving year after year. Of course, the last few seasons haven’t been easy, especially since COVID.
It’s definitely been more difficult since then. Finding sponsors has become a lot harder and many companies have pulled back from supporting our sport. The whole industry felt the impact and we’ve had to work even harder to keep the team going.
GateDrop: You’ve worked with a mix of youth and experience — do you prefer working with young riders to develop them or giving second chances to more established names?
Boschi: As I was saying before, it’s getting harder and harder to fund a team. In my opinion, today it’s almost impossible without at least some support from the factory. Also, if you don’t have a strong rider, it’s tough to get much visibility. Until this year, in Italy we didn’t even have TV coverage for the Grand Prix. And if there was anything on national TV, it was poorly managed with really strange time slots, so the visibility was very low.
Thankfully, this year Infront Moto Racing made a deal with Sky, so hopefully things will improve. Motocross is a great sport, but unfortunately, in Italy and many other European countries, it remains very much a niche sport. Finding sponsors outside the motocross sector is becoming more and more difficult.
GateDrop: With the increasing professionalism of the EMX classes, do you feel private teams like yours are being squeezed out, or is there still a strong place for you in the system?
Boschi: For sure, in the 250 European Championship, if the rules don’t change a bit, private teams are really at a disadvantage. It’s a category where not only the rider matters, but also the bike, the engine, and reliability. The rules should allow racing with bikes that are almost stock, otherwise small teams can never really compete and it becomes as expensive as running in the World Championship. That’s because the bikes are almost the same level as the World Championship machines.
GateDrop: Are there any changes you’d like to see made to the current GP structure to help privateer teams survive or thrive?
Boschi: Some changes would definitely be welcome. Even a small amount of financial support for private riders and teams would help a lot, and the starting gates would be much fuller. Since motocross is still a sport where the rider makes a real difference, it would be great to see new names come up once in a while. As a fan, it’s not very exciting to see only 15 riders on the gate. Manufacturers are still investing in this sport, so it would be nice to give smaller private teams a real chance to race and compete in all the rounds, including the overseas events.
GateDrop: What have been some of your proudest moments or biggest achievements with the JK Yamaha team?
Boschi: Some of the best moments for the team were definitely in the early 2000s. We were constantly fighting at the front in the World Championship, even though we were basically a private team with very limited resources. We didn’t have much, but our passion and consistency always kept us up there.
Another highlight was our first MX1 win with Shaun Simpson. That victory really helped make our name more known in the top class. I remember that year Yamaha hadn’t had many wins, so taking that victory in the deep sand of Lierop was a big and well-deserved success.
Over the years, we also had wins and good results in several national championships in France, Italy and even some strong performances in the European 2-stroke with Manuel Iacopi. We also had a few WMX race wins with Lynn Valk, and of course, her second place in the World Championship, which she fought for right up until the last race, that was a really special achievement for all of us.
GateDrop: You’ve had riders from all over the world — is there a particular rider who surprised you or really stood out in your time working with them?
Boschi: Of course, over 25 years in the World Championship, we have had so many riders. I could probably tell a story about each one. We have worked with French, British, Italian riders, and it would be hard to name just two or three without leaving someone out. Naturally, the ones who left a mark are those who achieved great results or won races.
There are also some riders who had a deeper impact on the team. Luigi Seguy, for example. Without him, I might not have even started this whole adventure. Then there are riders like Isak Gifting and Shaun Simpson, who I will always have great memories of because they are true fighters. What I admire most is their attitude. No matter what equipment they had, they always gave everything to chase a result. That kind of mindset makes you want to give them your full support and do everything you can to help. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer riders like that nowadays.
GateDrop: You signed up Isak Gifting for the 2024 season and managed to keep him for this year. What’s he like to work with? He is doing a superb job!
Boschi: Working with Isak has been really enjoyable for me, honestly fantastic. I will tell you the truth, sometimes I went beyond my limits just to support him because he is a rider who truly deserves it. He always gives 120%, sometimes even too much.
GateDrop: Are you confident you can keep Isak for the 2026 season and beyond?
Boschi: We haven’t decided yet about 2026, especially since we’re only halfway through the 2025 season. For me, it would be a pleasure to continue working with Isak, but of course it’s not up to me to stop him from making his own choices. So, we’ll see how things develop.
GateDrop: Looking ahead — what are your goals for JK Yamaha in the next few years? Any plans to expand or evolve the program in a different direction?
Boschi: I can’t predict the future, but right now our focus is on finishing this season strong. My son is now actively involved in the team and playing a key role, so we will decide the future together. If the conditions are right, you can be sure we will be there, just like always giving 100%.
