Miguel Oliveira has a contract with Aprilia to stay at CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP in 2024, with the possibility of extending it afterwards. However, he has been mentioned as a possible option for Marc Márquez’s place at Repsol Honda – although his current team considers this scenario unlikely.
In statements to the official broadcast of the Indonesian MotoGP Grand Prix, director Razlan Razali stated that there isn’t even a possibility of breaking the contract due to a more appealing offer: ‘Basically the story remains the same. He has a solid contract with Aprilia, 2+2 [years]. So, he will still be with us in 2024. And there is no clause that says if he has a factory offer he can leave Aprilia or RNF. That’s why we know he will be here in 2024‘.
In this case, why didn’t Razali deny the speculation earlier? ‘Well, basically everything is possible, but in our opinion he will be with us next year,’ he said.
Asked if he can understand Honda’s reasons for wanting to talk to Oliveira, the manager replied: ‘Honda is a big manufacturer, a big company. It is only right for them to approach whoever they want to approach. It seems they don’t have a backup plan and it’s Honda – they can knock on anyone’s door. And they have to do it because it’s a big brand and they need to improve from where they are now. It’s normal for them to approach Miguel, Maverick [Viñales] or whoever, they have to do it. But fortunately, we have a legal agreement with our rider and that’s it‘.
Razali also admitted that there is no alternative plan for RNF: ‘At this moment, no, but if it happens [Oliveira’s departure] we want to be highly compensated‘.
