Aprilia staged a special press conference on Thursday evening to announce the retention of Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales for two more MotoGP seasons.
In an exceptional Press Conference held on Thursday afternoon at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, Aprilia Racing confirmed both Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales will be staying with the team through to the end of 2024.
Espargaro has emerged as a serious title contender in 2022 after claiming one win and three consecutive podiums before arriving at Mugello, while Viñales continues his adaptation to the RS-GP and has shown plenty of promise this season, especially on a Sunday afternoon.
Aleix Espargaro: “This confirmation was just what the doctor ordered. We’ve worked hard together and grown together. We were a hope, now we are reality. In 2021 we had already seen clear signs of our steps forward and now we are able to battle consistently with the best in the world. Continuing to do so with Aprilia is a source of pride for me. We can grow even more and we want to demonstrate that on the track.”
Maverick Viñales: “I’m extremely happy to continue my work with Aprilia Racing. Now our horizons are expanding and we’ll be able to work with continuity to achieve ambitious goals. I believe in this project and I’m happy to be part of it. I’ve found a fantastic environment in Aprilia and this confirmation gives me the peace of mind to grow the way this team and I deserve to.”
Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO: “All the good we are doing this season is the fruit of many components, certainly the value of our designers and our technicians led by Romano Albesiano, the overall growth of our racing department and, in large part, the synergy that our Captain Aleix has skilfully built with the bike and with the team. So, we set the goal of continuing along these lines, both with Aleix and with Maverick, and I am pleased with these confirmations today. We still need to grow a lot and now we have the peace of mind to do so.”
[Note: The above is as per press release with no edits made]