Aprilia Racing’s CEO Massimo Rivola has declared the team’s determination to beat Ducati’s Marc Marquez in a direct competition before the close of the 2025 MotoGP season. This bold objective comes after factory Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi narrowly missed out in a thrilling battle with Marquez at the recent San Marino Grand Prix, falling short by just 0.568 seconds.
Bezzecchi’s performance at San Marino followed his milestone win at May’s red-flagged British Grand Prix, where he stood as the only rider outside of Ducati to claim victory in dry conditions during the current year. However, that Silverstone win had qualifying nuances, as Marquez had an unusually poor weekend, finishing more than six seconds behind after Fabio Quartararo’s Yamaha faltered while leading.
Recent Performances Showcase Rising Competition at MotoGP
Since Silverstone, Marquez has demonstrated renewed dominance, winning a remarkable eight grand prix and eight sprint races over just nine events starting at Aragon. Despite this, Rivola sees Bezzecchi’s Misano showing as a catalyst for Aprilia’s broader efforts to close the gap on an in-form Marquez in the season’s final rounds.
“At the moment we are behind the number 93, clearly,”
Rivola said after Misano.
“But thanks to the attitude of Marco, the mission is to try to beat him before the end of the season.
“Maybe at least just once, but that is something that in Noale we need to realise we can do.“Marco will have the chance again, and we will have the chance to fight with Marc and also with other riders.
“I saw Pedro [Acosta] coming very fast, and then he had a technical problem, but he was coming very fast. We need to keep pushing, we still are not the best out there, and the target is that one.
Improving Bike Consistency Across Different Tracks Remains a Priority
A critical aim for Aprilia this season was to build a motorcycle capable of consistent performance across a variety of circuits. Although the team has secured wins during the last three seasons, it has yet to finish second in the constructors’ championship, having lost to Yamaha in 2022 and to KTM in both 2023 and 2024.
Last year, Aprilia was the only manufacturer besides Ducati to win a grand prix, but inconsistent performances ultimately left the team 25 points behind KTM in the battle for second place. While the team has generally succeeded in creating a more all-around competitive bike, this improvement has reduced the edge it once had on specific tracks.
An example is the recent lackluster outing at Barcelona, a circuit where Aprilia achieved a 1-2 finish just two years ago. Rivola explained the shift in competitiveness across various tracks:
“It is a fact that on those tracks where we normally were not competitive, like Austria, Misano, the stop-and-go tracks, we are now competitive there,”
he stated.
“But it is also a fact that on the tracks where we used to be very competitive, like Barcelona, we don’t know if we’ve still got that advantage or not.
Rivola expressed eagerness to assess their performance at the upcoming Asian rounds, especially Indonesia and Phillip Island, which feature fast corners where the overall competition seems to be converging.
“So I am curious to go to Indonesia, to Phillip Island, to see the speed on the very fast corners. I think everybody is closer and closer on average on those tracks.
Challenges in Finding Peak Performance Early in Race Weekends
Rivola also noted that Aprilia’s bike, with its unique mechanical and electronic setups, requires more time during the race weekends to optimize performance, especially early on Friday sessions. He described how the team’s peak performance often emerges during races, reflecting continuous improvements through the weekend that bode well for future seasons.
“The downside of that is that since the bike is quite different in mechanical set-up and electronic set-up, on Friday, particularly in FP1, we are not immediately ready to get the best out of the bike.“So we need a bit more time to get the best performance. Normally, the fastest performance of Aprilia on the weekend is in the race, because we are coming, we improve every day, and that is good for next year obviously. But I am very curious to go to the Asian races.
Potential Impact and Outlook for Aprilia’s Campaign
Aprilia’s strategic focus and incremental gains suggest a measured but hopeful approach to challenging the dominance of Marc Marquez and Ducati in MotoGP. With strong rider performances from Marco Bezzecchi and promising talent like Pedro Acosta, the team is gaining confidence to escalate their competitiveness.
The final stages of this season will be telling, as Aprilia aims to demonstrate that its advances can translate into victory against one of the sport’s most formidable champions. Success in this mission could reshape the championship landscape and establish Aprilia as a consistent contender among MotoGP’s elite teams.
