Offer from rivals would make Maverick Vinales the second-best paid MotoGP rider
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A lucrative offer could reportedly bolster Maverick Vinales’ bank balance massively.
He would become the second-biggest earning rider in MotoGP if he accepts a two-year contract from Honda for 2025 and 2026, Motosprint report.
MotoGP’s top earner is now reportedly Fabio Quartararo after he signed a new deal to stay at Yamaha on an annual salary of €12m.
Aprilia were linked with a swoop for Yamaha’s Quartararo and offered a deal which was valued at around €4m.
That may give some indication of Aprilia’s power, in financial terms, in the rider market.
Quartararo’s rejection of Aprilia came in the days prior to Vinales’ brilliant win at the Americas MotoGP.
Adding Aprilia to Yamaha and Suzuki, Vinales became the first MotoGP rider to win a grand prix for three different manufacturers.
He has also won the sprint races at the most recent two rounds and arrives to this weekend’s Spanish MotoGP in impeccable form.
That form will bring a certain value, with his Aprilia contract expiring this season.
He is “fundamental” but not “indispensable” to the Italian manufacturer, the report states.
If Honda’s offer to Vinales is genuinely bigger than every rider’s contract apart from Quartararo’s, it might turn his head.
Vinales would have to choose between the ever-increasing competitiveness of his Aprilia and the money on offer at Honda.
Honda’s financial capabilities provide hope that the struggling Japanese manufacturer – who languish at the back of the grid this year – can turn their fortunes around.
Luca Marini and Johann Zarco are already contracted to Honda for 2025.
Meanwhile, they must agree a new contract to keep LCR as a satellite team for next year.
Read More: Offer from rivals would make Maverick Vinales the second-best paid MotoGP rider 2024-04-25 08:00:00