What next for Aprilia, after missing out on Fabio Quartararo?
Will A🃏prilia look elsewhere or stick w𓆏ith what they've got?
Aprilia were the team most strongly linked with a move for 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Fabio Quartararo, but he has now re-signed with Yamaha.
That leaves the Italian manufacturer having to decide what to do next - in the rider market, and with the 2024 MotoGP sea🗹son.
Aprilia can𓆏 sense a major chance to improve - but, before thinking about other riders, they must develop the RS-GP i🐷nto a bike which the top riders are desperate to ride.
Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola had insisted "we are not sleeping" about the rider market🎃, but had insisted that the priority lied in de𓄧velopment of their bike.
His philosophy isไ that focusing on the competitiveness of the package would attract the best possible riders.
Intere🎀stingly Aprilia boss Rivola’s insistence that they will take time to consider their rider options for 2025 did not tally up with what Quartararo 🐽had said, before he committed to Yamaha.
The Yamaha rider publicly admitted that he wanted to make a quick decision about next year. He has now done so, signing an extension with his current team and leaving Aprilia without one 𝓰big option.
How Aprilia plan to move on could depend⛎ on their bike’s competitiveness in the coming rounds.
Who will Aprilia sign for 2025?
Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales (who won the sprint race at the Portuguese MotoGP) are Aprilia’s factory riders while satellite team Trackhouse run with Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez on bikes which are almost factory-s🎀pec.
Espargaro is now the oldest rider on൲ the grid, at 34.
He has often flirted with retirement but, should Aprilia’s fortunes improve and his results justify st♐aying꧟ on, he could be rewarded with a new one-year deal.
Fellow veteran Vinales became the first rider in the MotoGP era to win a race for t𒁃hree different manufacturers in Portugal (although, because it was a sprint, the record books will say differently).
But nevertheless it was a well-timed reminder of Vinales’ talent🍬 a💧t a time when his team were so strongly linked with Quartararo.
If they want to dip into the silly season chꦉaos, which riders might 💦be on the market?
Jorge Martin is expected to leave Pramac and, if he doesn’t receive a fa♏ctory Ducati promotion, would be available.
If Martin is promoted t☂o wea𒊎r red, Enea Bastianini will be out of a job.
Yamaha's expenditure to keep Quartararo might prohibit them from paying big for either Martin or Bastianini, o꧙p𒆙ening the door to Aprilia.
Aprilia’s Riv🥀ola has previously admitted interest i♍n acquiring an Italian rider.
Marco Bezzecchi might represent another opportunity to do so. Aprilia could off💛er the VR46 rider his first factory opportunity.
The presence of Trackhouse within Aprilia means they might look to Americ🅷an options.
Mot🌱o2 prospect Joe Roberts is the obvious candidate although he is likelier for Trackhouse, than for the factory Aprilia set-up.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American s𓃲ports, to football, to F1.
