Aprilia needs “better bike” to be stronger in 2025 MotoGP rider market

Aprilia has gradually moved up the pecking order in MotoGP over the last few seasons, making it an attractive target for riders as nearly the entire grid reaches the end of their two-year contract cycle after 2024.

Fabio Quartararo has been linked to Aprilia in recent weeks amid his continued frustrations with Yamaha, and the 2021 champion admitted last week that he has been conversing with a number of manufacturers regarding where he will race next season.

But Aprilia feels it needs to bring in more developments on the RS-GP in order to lure in a star signing, as it openly admitted it is keeping an eye on rider market developments to finalise its line-up for 2025.

Asked if there has been any contact between Quartararo and Aprilia, the Italian marque’s CEO Massimo Rivola said: “First of all, we are happy about our four riders but we are also not honestly sleeping.

“So we need to check around what is the situation on the market and we will see.

“The priority is to have a better bike, then we will be stronger on the market.”

Quartararo revealed in Portugal that he will make a call on his MotoGP future ‘quite quickly’, saying “I will not spend months” to decide whether to remain with Yamaha or move to another manufacturer.

But Rivola made it clear that Aprilia will not be hasty in finalising the rider line-up across its factory and Trackhouse teams, stressing his focus was on performance improvements.

”I think we will take time,” he said. “We have no rush. I’m not obsessed by choosing riders, I’m more obsessed about having a better bike.”

Aprilia’s current roster includes factory duo Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales as well as Trackhouse riders Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez, with all but the last-named currently riding 2024-spec RS-GPs.

Espargaro is one of the keystones of Aprilia’s MotoGP project and is likely to get a contract extension if he elects to prolong his career, while Vinales’ chances of staying abroad have been boosted by his sprint victory in Portugal.