Aprilia confirms Espargaro and Vinales partnership until 2024

Aprilia Racing has announced the continuation with both current MotoGP riders Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales until the end of 2024.

The two year extension puts to bed the rumours surrounding the two Spaniard’s options with Espargaro’s retirement postponed until 2025 and Viñales firmly committed to getting to grips with the RS-GP and returning to the front of the championship.

Espargaro’s impressive 2022 charge has seen the 32-year-old secure three podiums alongside his Argentina victory with rumours now circulating of a potential satellite team for the coming season after news broke of Suzuki’s impending departure.

“The captain has been part of our history since a long time,” Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola said on Espargaro’s continuing role. “I don’t have any kind of doubt that he brought us where we are now and he will keep pushing even more with the enthusiasm that he brings to the team.

“I’m very happy to continue with Maverick,” he added. “I fully trust in his talent and I’m sure that he will show to everybody, not just to us what is his real potential.

“I didn’t even consider options because I do think that continuity and consistently is performance. Stability means performance and we are working not just with the riders but also with the human being, with guys that are part of, well he managed to build a family with us as he call us. And we see Maverick quite inside our family so I didn’t even consider options.”

“I’m very happy, finally that this arrive,” Espargaro confirmed. “We did a good job during the last six years. It’s going to be long time. At the end of ‘24 it’s going to be eight years in this garage, which I feel extremely good on the human side. And on technical side, since I met Romano