The Oliveira to Honda rumours: One year was ‘just too risky, happy where I am’

Not only is the Portuguese a proven five-time MotoGP winner with KTM, he could also have brought Aprilia experience to HRC.

But the Honda talks soon fizzled out when it appeared that only a one-year deal was on offer for the satellite RNF rider.

“They want a rider to go there for one year and nowadays I think it is just too risky to do it,” Oliveira explained at the time.

“They [Honda] are the biggest manufacturer in the world with all the economic and most likely human ability to build up a bike and a strong team, it’s just… as a rider are you going to break a relationship with one manufacturer to go to another without more guarantees of the future?

“Every rider [finishes] this two-year contract cycle next year, so everything will be open [for 2025]. I just don’t see how it will be possible to risk that much [switching to Honda] without guarantees to continue. It would be too hard.

“It’s a business, they [manufacturers] look for opportunities and so do we. Sometimes our expectations don’t match what is offered and what is possible for a manufacturer. So I am not disappointed.”

Nonetheless, Oliveira confirmed that a two-year deal would have made a factory Honda move much more tempting.

“It would be different for sure because it is a factory seat and I can only possibly have a factory seat in ’25 or ’26,” Oliveira said.

“So in that case they would offer me more than what I have now [at Aprilia] but I would still have to break a relationship [early]. That’s why I am happy where I am now.”

After other experienced riders also declined a one-year offer, for similar reasons, Honda eventually secured Luca Marini on a two-year deal.

Nonetheless, Oliveira, who took a best finish of fourth in an injury-ravaged debut year at Aprilia, might yet have access to 2024 factory spec bikes at the newly 'rebranded' Trackhouse Aprilia team next season.