“Only Fabio and Aprilia hold the answer, leaving us to wonder.”
Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro revealed that Aprilia informed him they never extended an offer to Fabio Quartararo.
Quartararo’s decision to renew his contract with Yamaha for another two years is a pivotal development in the 2025 rider market.
Reportedly becoming the highest-paid MotoGP rider with a €12 million annual deal at Yamaha, Quartararo declined an alleged €4 million per year contract from Aprilia.
Espargaro, speaking to GPOne, stated, “Fabio is undeniably one of the most talented young riders, if not the very best. It’s natural for Aprilia to have conversations with him, but they assured me they didn’t present him with an offer.”
“We may never ascertain the truth of that, as only Fabio and Aprilia hold that knowledge. Yet, I can certainly empathize, given his youth,” added Espargaro.
“As Aprilia riders, our contracts are up this year, just like his was.”
“Massimo Rivola, Aprilia’s CEO, had the task of engaging with all parties,”
Ahead of this weekend’s MotoGP of the Americas, Quartararo informed DAZN: “I’ve had discussions with all the manufacturers.
“Aprilia was one of the options that appealed to me because it stands out.
“There aren’t many riders on identical bikes.”
The challenge for Aprilia lies in maintaining the satisfaction of Espargaro, teammate Maverick Vinales, and Trackhouse’s Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez.
All four of their contracts are set to conclude at the end of this season.
Espargaro, the most seasoned rider on the MotoGP grid, has contemplated retirement.
Yet, both Espargaro and Vinales have displayed exceptional performances in the initial two rounds of the 2024 season, with Vinales securing victory in the Portimao sprint race.
Should Aprilia decide to delve into the rider market once more, Enea Bastianini and Jorge Martin stand as potential alternatives.
Stay tuned with We4GP for more news.
