Aleix Espargaro: “Aprilia told me they never made Fabio Quartararo an offer”
“We will never know if that is true, only Fabio and Aprilia know"
Aleix Espargaro says he was told by Aprilia that they never made an offer to Fabio Quartararo.
Quartararo’s decision to sign a new deal to stay at Yamaha for two more years is a major part of the 2025 rider market.
His new deal with Yamaha reportedly makes him the top-earning MotoGP rider on €12m-per-year.
Aprilia supposedly offered him a contract worth €4m-per-year which he knocked back.
Aprilia rider Espargaro was quoted by GPOne: “Fabio is one of the best riders, if not the best young rider, in terms of talent.
“It is normal that Aprilia talked to him, but they told me that they never made him an offer.
“We will never know if that is true, only Fabio and Aprilia know, but I can totally understand because he is a young rider.
“We Aprilia riders are expiring our contracts this year, and so was he.
“[Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola’s] job was to talk to everyone.”
Quartararo told DAZN ahead of this weekend’s MotoGP of the Americas: "I have spoken with all the brands.
“Aprilia was one of the brands that I liked, because it is different.
“There are not so many riders on the same bike.”
The awkwardness for Aprilia is that they must keep happy Espargaro and teammate Maverick Vinales, plus Trackhouse duo Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez.
All four of their contracts are expiring at the end of this season.
Espargaro, the oldest rider on the MotoGP grid, has flirted with retirement.
But both Espargaro and Vinales have also shone during the first two rounds of the 2024 season. Vinales won the sprint in Portimao.
Enea Bastianini and Jorge Martin are alternative options if Aprilia do decide to dip into the rider market again.
