Miguel Oliveira rejects GASGAS offer, set to sign for RNF Aprilia
After the Factory Red Bull KTM Racing team announced that Jack Miller would replace Oliveira for 2023, options for the three-time MotoGP race winner appeared to include Ducati, Aprilia and Honda.
Gresini Ducati were thought to be the early favourites to sign Oliveira before the team made a shock decision to sign LCR Honda rider Alex Marquez.
With Fabio Di Giannantonio also staying at Gresini, that was one of the three options that quickly became eliminated.
While LCR Honda remained an option before the signing of Alex Rins, Oliveira and RNF Aprilia appeared likely to strike a deal, which according to SPEEDWEEK.com has already happened in the form of a ‘letter of intent’.
However, speaking at the Austrian MotoGP, KTM Motorsport Director Pit Beirer claimed the rebranded GASGAS Factory Racing Team was still in talks with Oliveira.
In a recent interview with SPEEDWEEK.com, KTM CEO Stefan Pierer said: "I offered Miguel a three-year contract for the GASGAS Tech3 Factory Team.
Oliveira ‘hurt’ by KTM choosing Miller over him for 2023 MotoGP campaign
Speaking in the same interview, Pierer continued: "I don't think Miguel will ride with us in 2023 because he signed a letter of intent at Aprilia.
"But we assured him before the race in Spielberg that Tech3 will be a real second works team in the future. He didn't know that when we offered him a move to Tech3 in May.
"If he had known earlier how the Tech3 team would be structured in the future, he might have stayed. It hurt him a bit when we preferred Jack Miller in the Red Bull team. But it is how it is. If he refuses, there is a vacancy at Tech3."
An announcement confirming Oliveira and Raul Fernandez at RNF Aprilia is imminent.
