Aprilia has just reduced the mystery slightly by announcing it will retain its two MotoGP riders for an additional two years.
Aleix Espargaro is just a few points off the championship lead as the series heads to Mugello this weekend. He and teammate Maverick Vinales can turn their focus to riding, and away from contract negotiations, as the duo have been confirmed by Aprilia to have received new, two-year contracts with the Italian factory to remain with their team through the 2024 season.
While retaining Espargaro is no surprise, Aprilia’s decision to give the struggling Vinales a two-year deal seems, on the face of it, unexpected. Vinales has now been on the Aprilia for nearly a year, yet he is consistently much slower than his teammate each weekend, both in qualifying and in the race.
Here is the announcement from Aprilia:
APRILIA RACING CONFIRMS THEIR FACTORY RIDERS FOR THE 2023/2024TWO-YEAR PERIOD
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ AND MAVERICK VIÑALES WILL BE ON THE FACTORYRS-GP MACHINES FOR THE NEXT TWO-YEAR PERIOD
ALEIX: “WE ARE GOING THROUGH A GREAT TIME, WE ARE A CONCRETEREALITY AND NOW I WANT TO KEEP GROWING WITH APRILIA”
MAVERICK: “CONFIRMATION FOR THE NEXT TWO-YEAR PERIOD, BEINGPART OF THE PROJECT, GIVES ME THE PEACE OF MIND TO SET GREATGOALS FOR MYSELF”
MASSIMO RIVOLA: “WE ARE PROVIDING CONTINUITY TO A PROJECT THATHAS JUST BEGUN TO REVEAL ITS POTENTIAL”
Under the sign of continuity, Aprilia Racing confirms their riders. Aleix Espargaró andMaverick Viñales will be astride the factory RS-GP machines in the 2023 and 2024seasons.
With more than one-third of the races in the current season already done and dusted,Aleix Espargaró and his Aprilia are two top protagonists in the championship. Withone win and three consecutive podiums, Aleix is reaping the fruits of a combinationwhich is also based on the reciprocal and profound harmony with his team. In thissituation, the synergy between bike and rider is one of the key factors for success.
Confirmation is based on this line of thinking for both the winner of the ArgentinianGP and Maverick, who now has the same goals of increasingly closer integration withthe Factory bike from Veneto.
Aleix Espargaró
“This confirmation was just what the doctor ordered. We’ve worked hard togetherand grown together. We were a hope, now we are reality. In 2021 we had alreadyseen clear signs of our steps forward and now we are able to battle consistently withthe best in the world. Continuing to do so with Aprilia is a source of pride for me. Wecan grow even more and we want to demonstrate that on the track.”
Maverick Viñales
“I’m extremely happy to continue my work with Aprilia Racing. Now our horizons areexpanding and we’ll be able to work with continuity to achieve ambitious goals. Ibelieve in this project and I’m happy to be part of it. I’ve found a fantasticenvironment in Aprilia and this confirmation gives me the peace of mind to grow theway this team and I deserve to.”
Massimo Rivola
“All the good we are doing this season is the fruit of many components, certainly thevalue of our designers and our technicians led by Romano Albesiano, the overallgrowth of our racing department and, in large part, the synergy that our Captain Aleixhas skilfully built with the bike and with the team. So, we set the goal of continuingalong these lines, both with Aleix and with Maverick, and I am pleased with theseconfirmations today. We still need to grow a lot and now we have the peace of mindto do so.”
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