Trackhouse Racing is Aprilia’s satellite team in MotoGP, and while the Noale-based manufacturer doesn’t have direct influence over rider selection, the departure of both factory team riders could impact the Americans.
Jorge Martín has already been confirmed on one of the official RS-GPs, but it’s still unknown who will replace Maverick Viñales. There are several potential candidates, such as Fabio Di Giannantonio, Marco Bezzecchi, or… Miguel Oliveira and Raúl Fernández, who are currently with Trackhouse. In this case, Viñales’s departure from Aprilia could have a direct impact on Trackhouse.
If the Portuguese rider or his teammate is chosen to partner with Martín, Justin Marks’s team will need to replace at least one of their current riders. The obvious option, considering rumors from several weeks ago, is Joe Roberts: which would realize an American rider in an American team.
Another potential candidate is Joan Mir. The 2020 champion is at the end of his contract with Repsol Honda and frustrated with the Japanese manufacturer’s lack of performance. At Trackhouse, he would work again with team manager Davide Brivio, with whom he took his first steps in the premier class and won his title.
Regardless, Aprilia won’t have the final say in Trackhouse’s choice. Earlier this month, Noale’s executive director, Massimo Rivola, made it clear: ‘They will chose the riders; obviously I will say what I think about that’.
Therefore, the main impact of Viñales’s departure could be if Aprilia opts for Oliveira or Fernández. In that case, Trackhouse will have to enter the rider market, with various options available: Roberts, Mir, or even Jack Miller are some possibilities, but there may be others in a year when several contracts are ending.