Aprilia press conference

[lostboy]

What's the smart money on?

"We'll have four bikes from next year, just to make stop Ducati fielding another two in their attempt to buy the title"?

"Ok, we gave Maverick a chance, we failed, we'd like to welcome Joan Mir/Alex Rins (delete as appropriate)"?

Something else?

https://www.motogp.com/en/news/2022/05/ ... gn=Traffic

[KungFooBob]

"We're doing a Suzuki"?

[lostboy]

"We're doing a Suzuki"?

Oooof!!

[ChrisW]

Mir or Rins confirmed AND 4 bikes.

[lostboy]

Mir or Rins confirmed AND 4 bikes.

Could be Mir AND Rins then.

[lostboy]

As someone has just put on Twitter:

"Maybe Aprilia has been bought by Ducati, just in case nine bikes aren't enough."

[ChrisW]

Well that was a let down!

Although a satellite team is "still on the cards, but from what I've heard, the final decision will be made in the coming days." according to Simon Patterson.

[lostboy]

Well that was a let down!

Although a satellite team is "still on the cards, but from what I've heard, the final decision will be made in the coming days." according to Simon Patterson.

You read my mind. How dull was that?!

"We've extended both riders contracts by two seasons."

The takeaway from that is that they don't have any great ambition and/or they got Maverick on the cheap.

[Skub]

I have to wonder how many chances Vinales will get. He must carry some serious sponsorship.

[ChrisW]

"We've extended both riders contracts by two seasons."

The takeaway from that is that they don't have any great ambition and/or they got Maverick on the cheap.

Making sure everyone knows both factory seats are taken so they can make sure a soon-to-be-announced satellite team can attract riders? Maybe a stretch...

[weeksy]

Aprilia have taken over the 2nd Yamaha team.... So they WILL have 4 bikes on the grid next season according to BT Sport.

[Yorick]

Aprilia have taken over the 2nd Yamaha team.... So they WILL have 4 bikes on the grid next season according to BT Sport.

Yamaha won't like that. Who'd have thought that Aprilia would have more clout than Yamaha.
They'll surely still want 4 bikes on the grid?

[weeksy]

Aprilia have taken over the 2nd Yamaha team.... So they WILL have 4 bikes on the grid next season according to BT Sport.

Yamaha won't like that. Who'd have thought that Aprilia would have more clout than Yamaha.
They'll surely still want 4 bikes on the grid?

It's not been mentioned yet.... But would you really want to be on a Yamaha at the moment anyway ?

[Yorick]

Aprilia have taken over the 2nd Yamaha team.... So they WILL have 4 bikes on the grid next season according to BT Sport.

Yamaha won't like that. Who'd have thought that Aprilia would have more clout than Yamaha.
They'll surely still want 4 bikes on the grid?

It's not been mentioned yet.... But would you really want to be on a Yamaha at the moment anyway ?

Pushed or jumped ?

https://www.bikesportnews.com/news/news ... otogp-2023

[lostboy]

Suspect the latter - there's been all sorts of rumours that they've not been happy with how Yamaha have treated them. In fact Yamaha seem to have struggled with the whole "second team" thing since Tech 3 upped and left amid tales of a broken relationship.

The pedant in me is desperate to go into the comments and ask how Raul Fernandez is going to ride both bikes.

Had to laugh at the sentence about Ezpeleta being unhappy with all the Ducs on the grid - perhaps he should stop treating everyone else like he does then!