Aleix Espargaró is competing in his twenty-first season in the MotoGP, his fifteenth in MotoGP, his eighth with Aprilia. For the Noale manufacturer and the entire paddock it has become a point of reference, a fixed presence that will be difficult to give up. In fact, the veteran of the premier class could end his career as an official driver at the end of 2024 to take on a ‘part-time’ role as a test driver. A thought that has haunted him for several years, even though up until now he has always renewed and postponed the moment of farewell.
Aleix in the Aprilia test team?
Granollers driver #41 has no intention of lying down on the sofa for the moment. “I can also imagine the role of tester. This is a very exciting and important task because it involves understanding and developing the motorcycle as a whole. The importance of the task has increased significantly to become a real profession. And when I think about a new set of rules, the task seems even more exciting“, says Aleix Espargaró.
Test teams are becoming increasingly organized and complex structures. Suffice it to say that KTM can count on the support of three riders: Dani Pedrosa, Pol Espargaró and Jonas Folger. And if a fourth tester is needed, Mika Kallio springs into action. Aprilia has only one test rider, Lorenzo Savadori, and by the end of May he will have to decide whether to reconfirm his Captain for another or look at the market. Time is running out, the days are numbered, the hourglass is now turned upside down: only a victory could perhaps overturn the final decision. Should Aleix decide to take on the role of test rider (along with the possibility of some wildcards), it would have an immediate effect on the MotoGP rider market.
A decision before Mugello
The first names in Massimo Rivola’s notebook are those of Enea Bastianini and Jorge Martin. At Mugello, the seventh round of the MotoGP season scheduled for May 31, Aprilia wants a clear answer on Aleix Espargaró’s choices. “At Mugello we will make a decision – declared Rivola after Jerez -. He is super fit and age is just experience, but if Aleix decides to stop we will go to the market and evaluate the alternatives. An Italian name can be interesting, there is no profile but he will have to dedicate himself to the cause“.
The 34-year-old Catalan confirmed to ‘Marca’ the deadline for deciding. “In these four races, which are super legendary circuits, very important, in Jerez, Le Mans, Mugello and Barcelona. I’m in no hurry and in Aprilia they are the last to decide. So let’s enjoy these races which are among the best on the calendar. Results, in the end, are what give you the strength to decide“. There is a lot of pressure surrounding his choice, demonstrating how the Aprilia RS-GP has now become a highly sought-after motorcycle. “Four years ago nobody wanted my bike, huh? If I want to continue in Aprilia, I will continue… They can’t wait until October because it’s an official bike, one of the best. And if I’m not there, a top rider must go“.
Photo Aprilia
