With MotoGP title leader 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jorge Martin officially announced as taking over from soon-to-retire 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Aleix Espargaro, a൲ttention now turns to theꦍ remaining factory Aprilia seat.

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Maverick Vinales has ༺been Espargaro’s team-mate since mid-2021 and, spurred on by his first Aprilia Grand Prix win earlier this season, is currently the top RS-GP rider with sixth place in the standings.

If Vinales🤪 succeeds as the first Aprilia team-mate to outshine Espargaro in the final world championship standings, it could mark a fitting handover of the captain’s armban🐼d to the #12.

Despite talk of seeking an Italian 🐠rider, before Marti💫n’s deal, Vinales staying on for the post-Espargaro era is Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola’s main goal.

“I think the priority is to understand what Maverick wants to do. And 🐬then if Maverick wants to stay, I'm the happi🎃est person,” Rivola said shortly after announcing the signing of Martin.

“If Mav🧸erick stays, the new ‘Capitano’ will be Mave♓rick,” Rivola added. “Because he fought in a bad period of Aprilia, he brought Aprilia to the top level, and he showed us a different way of riding the bike compared to Aleix.”

As such, the quest for a ‘home’ Italian star has been put on hold, pending Vinales’🥂 decision.

“If Maverick won't be with us - I have to consider also this option – [then] I see many Italian riders very, very strong. But our first priority is n🐎o⛦t this one.”

Despite his best start to an Aprilia season, Vinales has kept his card♊s close to his chest abo🍨ut his 2025 intentions.

“I will do what is the best for my career,” Vinales said. “I'm still real🐎ly fast. I h༒ave a lot of speed and after Austin, I see much more clearly the speed I can have when things are in place.

“At the moment my [commitment] is 🍒100% with Aprilia for sure. I'm reaꩵlly concentrating on each weekend, to put in a really nice season ahead.

“But about the future, I still don't know.

“I really think my decision wil💫l be just [about] pure performanc♋e."

Even if ‘pure performance’ ruled out a switch to Honda, it could still leave Vinales with a potential 🍃choice of staying at Aprilia, a satellite Ducati - including Martin's title-leading Pramac seat - or a satelli🅺te KTM ride.

Speaking before official confirmation of Martin’s RS-GP deal, Vinales downplayed automaticall▨y 💙assuming the role of Aprilia’s new team ‘captain’ next season.

“I don't know my future. I don't know if it will be in Aprilia. But for sure t⛎he place of Aleix in Aprilia carries a lot of weight,” Vinales said. 

“Aleix has been many years with Aprilia, I think he carries a lot of weight on his shoulders ♎and did a really good job.”

Espargarཧo meanwhile looks set for a to-be-confirmed switch to Honda as a test rider for 2025, a move that ‘surprised’ Vinales.

Rivola jo꧙ked that - having personally helped to promote the Aprilia during the successful 💛negotiations to land Vinales and now Martin - Espargaro could be offered an assistant role!

“For sure he presented Aprilia well [to Vinales and Mar🧜tin]. It’s how Aleix is, just natural in saying the good things and the bad things,” Rivola ad♒ded.

“But I like to think that the choice of Aprilia [by Martin] was because Aprilia has consistently grown during these years. We are the only factory that so far won races [this year] as an alternative to his current [Duౠcati] bike.”