Massimo Rivola Reveals Who'll Take 2025 Leadership Role at Aprilia
Following Aleix Espargaro’s departure from active MotoGP racing, Aprilia Sports Director Massimo Rivola explains who’ll take over the Spaniard’s leading role in the team.
Jorge Martín will be an Aprilia rider from next year after splitting with Ducati. This follows Aleix Espargaró’s announcement to retire from the sport after 2024.
The Spaniard, nicknamed ‘Capitano,’ is retiring as a full-time MotoGP rider and is rumored to take on the position of Honda test rider.
At the same time, Aprilia has not yet announced who his teammate will be for the 2025 season. The Italians want to keep Maverick Viñales, and Sports Director Massimo Rivola has spoken enthusiastically about his current rider.
However, Viñales himself has yet to say anything about his future. With the Spaniard not yet committing to Aprilia: Who will be the team leader when Espargaró leaves?
“If Maverick stays, he will be the new ‘Capitano’ because he fought for Aprilia in tough times, brought the team to a top-level, and showed us a different way of riding the bike compared to Aleix. If he stays, Maverick will be the ‘Capitano’, not Jorge.”
The statement from Rivola, therefore, hints that he wants Viñales to stay with the team. “I feel sorry for Jorge, but you have to earn the merit on the track.”
“He has done that, but on a different bike. In every team, the most experienced and oldest are evaluated. Maverick has gone through this process with us.“
Strikingly, during a media appearance in Mugello, Viñales was still in the dark about Martín’s move to Aprilia.
Rivola later admitted: “It was my mistake that I didn’t tell him that this would happen. The priority was to finalize the contract.”
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