Aprilia on Honda’s hunt: “If a rider says ‘I don’t want to stay?’ Won’t happen”
Miguel Oliveira and Maverick Vinales emerged as Honda’s top choices to replace Marc Marquez in the 2024 MotoGP rider line-up, and even Aleix Espargaro responded openly to being asked if he would move across.
But Aprilia CEO Rivola has come out fighting and believes Honda will be forced to look elsewhere.
"I spoke with Vinales, he feels really good with us,” Rivola told Sky.
“2024 will be an important year for him. Or maybe we will also be the ones who next year tell Maverick not to continue together, I can't know this now.
“For now we are in an ideal situation, we are technically developing four riders based on the characteristics of our bike.
“What the others do doesn't interest me.
“I wanted my four riders and I want to continue with these four riders.
“Should a rider come to me and tell me they don’t want to stay at Aprilia anymore, we'll sit down and talk about it.
“But this won't happen, this isn't the situation."
Oliveira and RNF team boss Razlan Razali had previously clashed over Honda’s reported interest.
Razali claimed that Oliveira does not have a clause in his factory contract with Aprilia that would allow him to quit, and move to another team.
“That’s not true,” Oliveira insisted.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
