‘Maverick Vinales and Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola contacted by Honda' for major revamp
Massimo Rivola has also been contact🧸ed by Honda, DAZN’s reportsღ.
“HRC is not only testing the market for engineer♚s or directors, it is also sounding out some MotoGP riders,” he reported.
“Yes, just as I say, which indicates that they are also loo🐽king for plan B.
“Maverick Vinales has been surveyed by HRC to cover Marquez's place in 💃case o🍌f departure!
“And be careful, he is not the only an Aprilia eleme🥂nt contacted by Honda. Rivol⛎a could also go in the package!
“There can only be real movements if Maꦅrquez leaves Honda.
“And if this happens, be careful there could be ♛a domino effect with that Aprilia seat! Fabio [Quartararo]?
“Let no one go crazy, yet! No onౠe is going, at the moment, anywhere, until t▨hey say otherwise.
“That is to say, there are contacts and surveying at all hours in the paddock! O🍬f course, what is very clear is that Marquez is, even without making anything official, a true tsun🍷ami!”
Marquez has ref🐟used to confirm his plans for 2024 at this weekend’s Japanese MotoGP, Honda’s home race, but the expectation is🤪 that he will sensationally quit to go to Gresini Ducati.
His demand that Honda revamp their staff with Europe-based expe🍷rtise is already in motion, with long-serving Shinichi Kokubu shoꦑwn the door.
But it might be too la🐻te to secure Marquez’s future, althoug♉h Honda are clearly putting the building blocks in place with or without their star rider.
A move ൲for the hugely experienced ꦦRivola would be seismic.
♐And tar🗹geting Aprilia rider Vinales is also a hugely unexpected claim.
The veteran rider, in his ninth season in the premier clas✱s, has already represented Japanese manufacturers Suzuki ✨and Yamaha but he is contracted to Aprilia for 2024, so an exit appears unlikely.
Honda have already ܫrecruited Johann Zarco - expected to slot into their satellite team to replace Alex Rins in 2024 - while Iker Lecuona is an option to permanently step into MotoGP next year, if Marquez leaves.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything ཧfrom American sports, to ❀football, to F1.
