What next for Aprilia, after missing out on Fabio Quartararo?
Will Aprilia look elsewhere or stick with wh🐟at 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 2ꦉ024 MotoGP season.
Aprilia can sense ♔a major chance to improve - but, before thinking about other riders, they must develop the RS-GP into a bike which th♏e 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 development of their bike.
His philosophy is that focusing on the competitiveness of the package ♏would attrac🍌t the best possible riders.
Interestingly Aprilia boss Rivola’s insistence that they will take time to consider their rider options for 2025 did not tally up with what Quart🔴araro had said, before he committed to Yamaha.
The Yamaha rider publicly admitted that he wanted to make a quick decision abo🦩ut next year. He has now done so, signing an e🧔xtension with his current team and leaving Aprilia without one big option.
How Aprilia plan to move ♐on could depend on their bike’s competitiven♔ess in the coming rounds.
Who will Aprilia sign for 2025?
Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales (wh♈o 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-spec.
Espargaro is now the olಌdest rider on the grid, 🌞at 34.
He has often flirted with retirement but, should Aprilia’s fortunes improve and his results justify stayi𓄧ng on, he could be rewarded with a new one-year de🐻al.
Fellow veteran Vinales became the first rider in the MotoGP era to win a race for three different manufacturers in Portugal (although, because it was a sprint, the record books will say differen♑tly).
But nevertheless it was a well-timed reminder of Vinales’ talent at a time when 🐓his team were so strongly l🅰inked with Quartararo.
If ꦬthey want to dip into the silly ꦗseason chaos, which riders might be on the market?
Jorge Martin is expected to leave Pramac and, if he doesn’t rece🐻iv♏e a factory Ducati promotion, would be available.
If Martin is promoted to wear red, Enea Ba✱stianini will be out ✤of a job.
Yamaha's expenditure to keep Quartararo might prohibit them from paying big for either Martin or Bastianini, opening the dꦉoor to Aprilia.
April💦ia’s Rivola has previously admitted interest in acquiring an Italian rider.
Marco Bezzecchi might represent another opportunity to do so. Apr🍃ilia could offer the VR46 rider his fi🌞rst factory opportunity.
The presence of꧑ Trackhouse within Aprilia means they might look to American options.
🐲Moto2 prospect Joe Roberts is ඣthe obvious candidate although he is likelier for Trackhouse, than for the factory Aprilia set-up.
Jame🉐s was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
