Lorenzo Savadori will remain as Aprilia’s reserve rider for 2023 MotoGP as he aspires to become a fulltime rider in the future.
Savadori’s extension follows the announcement of factory race riders Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro, ensuring that Aprilia will continue to field all three of its current riders.
Savadori and possibly Tetsuta Nagashima, a Honda rider based in Japan, are the only factory test riders currently in search of a full-time ride in MotoGP, with other riders like Yamaha’s Cal Crutchlow, Honda’s Stefan Bradl, Ducati’s Michele Pirro, and KTM’s Dani Pedrosa joining the program after finishing their MotoGP careers.
Considering that Sylvain Guintoli, a Suzuki test rider, is now available for 2023, Savadori’s extension is also a sign of trust on Aprilia’s part.
“I am very happy about the renewal with Aprilia MotoGP, with whom I have been collaborating since 2015,” Lorenzo Savadori said. “I’m particularly pleased with the level the RS-GP has reached and to have also provided my contribution to this growth, bringing the brand back into the battle for the championship title.”
“Besides my work as a tester, I am always anxious to participate in as many races as possible, with the hopes of being able to once again race for an entire season as a rider.”
End of 2020 saw Savadori transition from his testing responsibilities to his first MotoGP race with Aprilia; he then turned up his racing seat to Vinales in late 2021.
The 29-year-old has competed in five races this year on the experimental RS-GP but hasn’t collected any points. During his three seasons with Aprilia in WorldSBK, the rider finished fourth at best. Savadori will still take part in wild cards and official and private MotoGP tests in 2023, but Aprilia’s lack of privileges will change the way he performs.
Only Savadori may now do private tests for the factory instead of Espargaro and Vinales, and Savadori may only do it on the three GP circuits that have been designated for testing. Technically, Savadori will only be allowed to compete in three wild-card races instead of the current six, and Aprilia won’t be able to improve its engine throughout the course of the season.
Aprilia will have a satellite squad in addition to its factory team for the upcoming season, with RNF running year-old RS-GPs for Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez.
Aprilia’s star rider Aleix Espargaro, who earlier this year won the RS-inaugural GP’s race, is still in the running for the MotoGP championship with only three rounds remaining.
