Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales are in the final year of their contract with Aprilia in MotoGP and, despite performing well, everything indicates that the team is considering replacing at least one of them.
There are strong rumors in the international press about an alleged offer to Fabio Quartararo – who chose to stay at Monster Energy Yamaha. However, Aprilia Racing’s CEO, Massimo Rivola, has already admitted that Enea Bastianini could be an interesting rider.
If Aprilia really has to give up one of its riders to renew the duo in 2025, the sacrified one could be Espargaró. According to the website GP-Inside.com, the solution would be a contract as a test rider, with the possibility of making wildcard appearances or as a substitute rider.
Age plays against #41, who will soon be 35 years old – Viñales is only 29 years old. He himself does not rule out retiring after the current contract. In terms of performance, the final classification of 2023 shows a certain balance between both of them (they were separated by only two points).
At the beginning of this season, Espargaró beat Viñales in both main races, but in Portugal Viñales would have been on the podium if it weren’t for a bike breakdown. Espargaró never entered that fight and crossed the finish line in eighth place.
