There are fewer and fewer experienced quality drivers available for 2018, after Johann Zarco, Jonas Folger and most recently Cal Crutchlow signed for next year, while drivers from the big factory teams already have two-year contracts. years covering the next season.
Sam Lowes also has a two-year contract, but he is sitting on an ejection seat because Aprilia is preparing to apply the insufficient results clause which allows him to quit at the end of the first year.
To replace the British, Andrea Iannone was considered. His situation at Suzuki is almost desperate. On a sporting level at least, because in the financial field its situation is royal. The Maniac is very clear: “ We have a two-year contract with Suzuki and I comply with it. I am absolutely staying here. The people from Aprilia may have contacted me. But I accepted this challenge here and I believe in this project with Suzuki ».
Another one who could be tempted by less efficient hardware in exchange for a tidy sum is Alvaro Bautista. He is well known to Aprilia, for whom he rode in 2015 (sixteenth in the Championship) and 2016 (twelfth).
This year, he was replaced at Aprilia and has a Ducati GP16 within the Aspar team, which has just allowed him to finish fourth in Argentina, fifth in Italy and seventh in Barcelona.
Bautista's situation is the opposite of that of Iannone: high-performance motorcycle but "modest" income for Alvaro in his private team, versus mediocre results but jackpot and private jet for Andrea in his factory team.
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Sources: corsedimoto.com, motorcyclesports.pt
Aprilia photos
