The renewal of Fabio Quartararo with Monster Energy Yamaha took a rider off the MotoGP market – and one whose team change could have a major impact on the composition of the grid. The Frenchman was once rumored as a possibility for Aprilia in 2025, but it is now clear that he will not leave Yamaha before the end of 2026.
In this sense, if the Noale manufacturer does not want to continue with any of its current riders – also at the end of their contracts – they will have to consider other options. And one of them involves Enea Bastianini, whose future with Ducati also depends on contract renewal. And that is far from guaranteed, as there are contenders for the seat like Jorge Martín (Pramac/Ducati) or Marc Márquez (Gresini/Ducati).
According to the website GPOne.com, Bastianini could be one of the most well-quoted riders if Aprilia wants to make a change. His priority is to stay with Ducati, but if he can’t, then Aprilia might be the only option to continue his career in a factory team that is already competitive.
At this point, negotiations between Bastianini and Aprilia may have already begun, but it is still too early to predict an outcome. Before #23 moved up to MotoGP, Aprilia – which at the time was far from having the competitive bike it now has and whose team was semi-private – tried to sign Bastianini. At that time, there was no agreement. Could the situation be different now?
De facto, se Bastianini perder a vaga na Ducati, então a Aprilia será uma oportunidade ideal. Sendo a Desmosedici GP a moto mais competitiva da atualidade, não é de crer que o piloto se antecipe a «bater com a porta», e a Aprilia já fez saber que não tem muita pressa para tomar uma decisão. Aleix Espargaró e Maverick Viñales são os seus atuais pilotos, enquanto a equipa satélite Trackhouse Racing tem Miguel Oliveira e Raúl Fernández – que tardam em comprovar o seu potencial.
Por fim, de referir que há um fator que pode facilitar um eventual entendimento entre Bastianini e a Aprilia. O empresário do piloto é Carlo Pernat, que tem uma forte ligação ao construtor italiano, onde chegou a trabalhar no motociclismo durante vários anos até 1998.
