In recent seasons, Aprilia has gradually climbed the MotoGP rankings, becoming an interesting target for riders, given that almost the entire starting grid will reach the end of their two-year contracts at the end of 2024.
Fabio Quartararo’s name has been linked to Aprilia in recent weeks due to his ongoing frustrations at Yamaha. Among other things, the 2021 world champion admitted last week that he has spoken to several manufacturers with a view to deciding what to do next season.
However, Aprilia believes it needs to make further developments of the RS-GP to attract one of the stars of the paddock, while openly admitting that it is monitoring developments in the rider market to understand what moves to make with a view to 2025.
When asked if there had been contact with Quartararo, Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola said: “First of all, we are happy with our four riders, but we are not even sleeping honestly. So we have to check the market situation and we’ll see. The priority is to have a better bike, so we will be stronger on the market.”
Quartararo revealed in Portugal that he will decide on his MotoGP future “quite quickly”, saying that “it won’t be months” for his decision whether to stay with Yamaha or sign with another manufacturer.
Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO
Photo credit: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
But Rivola made it clear that Aprilia will not be hasty in defining the rider lineup for its factory and Trackhouse teams, underlining that its focus is on improving performance.
“I think we’ll take our time,” he said. “We’re in no rush. I’m not obsessed with choosing riders, I’m more obsessed with having a better bike.”
Aprilia’s current roster includes the two official riders Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales and the Trackhouse Racing riders, Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez, all except the latter currently riding the 2024-spec RS-GPs.
Of the quartet, Fernandez is the most likely to lose his seat based on his current form, although he will receive an update to this year’s bike (but with the 2023 engine) in the coming races.
Espargaro is one of the cornerstones of Aprilia’s MotoGP project and will likely get a contract extension if he decides to continue his career, while Vinales’ chances of staying have been boosted by his win in the Portimao Sprint.
