Who is Albert Valera? The agent at the centre of the MotoGP rider market

Following the news that Jorge Martin intends to leave Aprilia at the end of the year, Albert Valera, the Spaniard’s agent, has become the name on everyone’s lips in the MotoGP paddock. But who is the man holding the keys to shake up the MotoGP rider market?

At 40 years old, this native of the Maresme region – a coastal area north of Barcelona – looks after the interests of both Jorge Martin and Pedro Acosta, another rising star likely to make headlines in the coming days. Acosta’s future remains uncertain until KTM, his current team, resolves the financial puzzle it’s entangled in.

Despite his current influence in the championship, Valera never intended to become a rider agent. His entrance into the role was purely accidental, brought about by a chance encounter with Jorge Lorenzo just as Valera was planning to move to Australia.

The connection between them was Ricky Cardus, a mutual friend who now manages Rocco’s Ranch, the motocross circuit next to Montmelo where much of the MotoGP grid trains. It was in 2012 when Lorenzo felt he needed a change in his professional circle. “I had a good relationship with Albert through Ricky. He always struck me as a sharp guy, and I was impressed by how well he expressed himself. At that time, I wanted to change my entourage. One day, I invited him to a restaurant in Barcelona and proposed that we start working together,” Lorenzo told Autosport.

Valera picks up the start of their partnership as his entry into the rider agent role.

“I had never even considered representation. In fact, when Jorge brought it up, I was working at Johnson & Johnson. I had just graduated with a degree in Business Administration and was planning to go abroad to study for an MBA. But then Jorge came along and everything changed,” Valera said.

Lorenzo was impressed instantly by Valera when he secured their first deal, which saw the Spaniard remain at Yamaha on a new two-year deal back in 2012.

“Albert is a very intelligent and honest guy who’s not driven by money. The first deal we signed worked well for both of us. His commission was lower than what other riders had agreed to pay their agents, but at that time, I was moving the biggest sums in the paddock,” Lorenzo adds, recalling Valera’s debut race as his representative. “It was at Assen, and he already had to deal with Lin Jarvis there, in what turned out to be a pretty tense meeting.”

Valera also helped negotiate Lorenzo’s big-money deal with Ducati for the 2017 season, which earned the Mallorcan around €25million over two years. By then, Valera’s client list had already expanded to include Aleix Espargaro since 2013 and Jorge Martin since 2014.

This growth led to the expansion of Playmaker, the agency Valera founded to support his clients with full services. Beyond legal and financial experts, the agency also brought in communications specialists, such as Artur Vilalta – now Ducati’s communications director – and Marc Balsells, Valera’s current right-hand man.

Valera is now seen by some as the agent who pulls off the impossible. He managed to free Martin from KTM at the end of 2020 thanks to a clause he had included in the contract.

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

A similar clause is now causing trouble for Aprilia.

Back then, the delayed start of the season due to COVID-19 allowed Martin to sign with Ducati and make his MotoGP debut with Pramac in 2021. As Autosport revealed last week, a similar clause is in Martin’s contract with Aprilia, but the manufacturer considers it invalid because the rider missed five of the first six races of the year.

“Of course, wounds like the one KTM suffered when Jorge left take time to heal,” Valera said. “But eventually, they do. As much as possible, I try to keep these matters from becoming personal. I understand why KTM was upset back then, and I also understand why the current situation is uncomfortable for Aprilia. But all I’m doing is trying to create the best possible scenario for my riders.”

In the coming weeks, he may face two high-stakes negotiations if Acosta also decides to leave KTM before his contract ends in order to join the VR46 Ducati team, which would welcome him with open arms.