The departure of Maverick Viñales at the end of the MotoGP season was confirmed, and Aprilia will have to return to the rider market for 2025 – after already signing Jorge Martín.
Who could succeed Viñales? The rider is the current reference for the Noale manufacturer due to his results and performances, making him not easy to replace. He is also the most experienced after Aleix Espargaró (who is retiring full-time and is expected to become a test rider for Honda).
An old, though not mandatory, wish is to have an Italian rider. In this case, according to the site Motorsport.com, there are two main candidates: Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi, both currently at the end of their contracts with Pertamina Enduro VR46. Like Martín, they would come from a Ducati, which is currently the benchmark.
However, Miguel Oliveira is also being considered. The Portuguese rider is with the satellite team Trackhouse Racing, and Aprilia is keeping an eye on him: ‘An Italian would be a possibility, but we will also have to see if Oliveira makes that final leap he still needs’, said the CEO Massimo Rivola recently to the site GPOne.com.
Regarding Italians, another prominent rider without a contract for 2025 is Franco Morbidelli, who only signed for a year with Prima Pramac. After missing the entire pre-season due to injury, he is showing clear signs of improved performance and getting closer to the top positions, which strengths his possibilities for renewal.
However, the team could become a satellite for Yamaha – a bike with which the #21 had many struggles between 2021 and 2023. In this context, Aprilia could be an interesting solution for Morbidelli, as could VR46, given its ties to the VR46 Riders Academy and the possibility of at least one current rider moving to… Aprilia. And, of course, there would still be at least one spot to explore at Gresini, from where Marc Márquez will depart.
What if, on the contrary, a more unexpected name emerges in the contention? With Viñales partenering Enea Bastianini at Tech3, Jack Miller is on the market. With experience on Honda, Ducati, and KTM (in the latter two cases as a factory rider), the Australian could also be an interesting solution for the Piaggio group manufacturer.
On the other hand, the experience factor must be considered. Without Espargaró and Viñales, Aprilia will be left without the two riders who know the bike best. Adapting to a new bike and team, especially without in-house references, can be a lengthy and challenging process. Oliveira (or Raúl Fernández) could provide a small contribution to Martín in this regard, while another rider without any prior experience with the bike and manufacturer could represent a more time-consuming adaptation process for both themselves and Martín.