Details emerge of Aprilia’s failed bid to sign Fabio Quartararo
The value of the contract offered by Aprilia to Fabio Quartararo has been revealed
Fabio Quartararo reportedly received an offer to leave Yamaha from Aprilia.
But the 2021 MotoGP champion ignored it, and penned a new two-year deal to stick with Yamaha.
His new contract makes him the top-earning rider in MotoGP, on terms worth €12m per year.
Aprilia offered Quartararo a deal worth only €4m per year, Motorsport report.
At just a third of the value of the contract on the table from Yamaha, Quartararo opted to stay put.
Aprilia knew that they not could compete with Yamaha on a financial front when they started speaking to Quartararo about his future several months ago.
But, they hoped that the competitiveness of their RS-GP would tempt him to make a decision similar to Marc Marquez’s.
Marquez opted to quit his €20m-per-year Honda contract (which made him MotoGP’s top-earner) and instead go to Gresini Ducati for a more competitive package.
Aprilia also entered 2024 aiming to establish themselves as the closest contenders to Ducati.
Although KTM’s Brad Binder currently sits second in the standings, Maverick Vinales’ sprint race win in Portimao offered a glimpse of what Aprilia could do.
Unfortunately the next day, his gearbox failure displayed the other side of the Aprilia.
Other manufacturers were not in a position to make a serious offer to Quartararo that rivalled Yamaha’s.
Ducati have locked down Francesco Bagnaia on a deal worth a basic €6m-per-year already.
They are also weighing up how to finance - and whether to fit in - the futures of Marquez and Jorge Martin.
That meant Quartararo could only fit in at a Ducati satellite team with the financial and technical disadvantages that come with it.
KTM are prioritising the evolution of Pedro Acosta, and possess the high-flying Binder already.
They are also credited with an interest in acquiring Marquez next year which will hit them in the pocket.
And Honda? Although they possess financial muscle, their bike is even worse than Yamaha’s at the moment.
Quartararo made the decision to become the most well-paid MotoGP rider and stay patient as he helps the development of the Yamaha, however long that takes…
