Aleix Espargaró has confirmed his retirement from MotoGP at the end of the season, leaving at least one seat open at Aprilia for 2025. The CEO, Massimo Rivola, has many options on the table and isn’t ruling out anything.
The other current rider for the team is Maverick Viñales, whose contract is ending soon. Rivola intends to keep him, as he mentioned to DAZN: ‘Maverick, for me, remains part of our continuity. I’m a fan of Maverick. Also, I believe that after Austin, Maverick was ready to win’.
Regarding the vacant seat, Rivola emphasized that no possibilities are off the table. When asked if Marc Márquez is an option, he stated: ‘We are ready for any option. We want to win and we want the best, so never say never. We have to be prepared, attentive, and keep an eye out to see what opportunities arise, which will be a great choice’.
In the interview, Jorge Lorenzo also participated, suggesting that Ducati might promote Jorge Martín to the factory team and leave Marc Márquez in a satellite team with equal equipment. Rivola sees this as a logical choice, but it could open up opportunities for two other Italian riders whom Aprilia views favorably:
– If I were them, I would do that [Martín in Ducati, Márquez in a satellite team with the same bike]. [Enea] Bastianini is also a very interesting Italian whom I have always admired. Marco Bezzecchi is also quite interesting, and then obviously, if we talk about Italians, they could be one of their riders. We will see. We have options to choose from.