Enea & Aprilia need each other, but will a deal be signed before its too late?

Aprilia Racing is currently pursuing the option to sign Enea Bastianini, who currently rides for the factory Ducati team alongside Francesco Bagnaia. However, it turns out that the Italian was not the first choice for the Italian squad, which was eyeing a certain Frenchman.

But Fabio Quartararo has decided to stay with Yamaha, snubbing Aprilia's advancements. The fact that the Noale-based team could only offer €4 million in comparison to Yamaha's €12 million per year salary did not help either.

With Fabio out of the picture, Aprilia is said to be looking to sign Enea Bastianini now. Bastianini's first year as a rider for the factory Ducati team in 2023 was riddled with injuries, and he could not show his potential.

Although his form in 2024 has been pretty good thus far, he sits third in the rider championship after two rounds with 39 points. Either Jorge Martin or Marc Marquez are expected to replace him in 2025.

Bastianini could potentially move to a satellite team next year in order to be able to race onboard a Ducati, or he could decide to move to Aprilia, an Italian squad that wants an Italian to spearhead its project.

Talks are said to be currently underway, and both parties likely need each other now more than ever. If a deal is signed, Enea will replace Aleix Espargaró at the Italian outfit. Maverick Viñales will likely stay in the squad for the foreseeable future.

It goes without saying that Aprilia has neither the resources nor the capacity to offer Enea a package like Ducati, which is highly dominant. But Aprilia does have a competitive package, and the arrival of a very talented young rider could change its fortunes for the better.