Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi emerged as one of the leading candidates for race wins during the latter stages of the 2025 MotoGP campaign, and Aprilia boss Fabiano Sterlacchini has pinpointed two crucial moments that led the charge.
Aprilia started the season off on the back foot due to Jorge Martin’s unfortunate injury in pre-season that ruled him out of the opening races of the season.
Another injury setback at the Qatar Grand Prix saw the reigning world champion sidelined for another seven race weekends, leaving it up to Marco Bezzecchi to fly the flag for the Italian constructor.
The Italian’s five pole positions in the second half of the season showcased his impressive one-lap speed, as well as the trajectory that Aprilia were on as the rounds ticked down.
In the end, Aprilia and Bezzecchi proved to be one of the biggest surprises of the season, with two moments especially standing out for a key figure within the team.
Aprilia’s best season since returning to MotoGP
Fabiano Sterlacchini recalls Aprilia’s in-season tests as the turning point for Marco Bezzecchi
During a recent interview, Aprilia technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini was asked several questions regarding the emergence of Bezzecchi as a leading figure within the ranks of the Italian constructor.
Sterlacchini signed on to join Aprilia a couple of months after Bezzecchi put pen to paper on a switch from VR46 to factory machinery, and the new boss has pinpointed the two moments that sparked a change in the trajectory of the team.
He said via Speedweek, “Looking at the course of the season, it was a growth with highs and lows. In my opinion, the two triggers were the two tests after the race, where we tried out a few things.”
The first in-season test came at Jerez in April, and Sterlacchini recalled, “The weekend there wasn’t bad for him, but afterwards we tried a few things.
“In Le Mans, if he hadn’t gone off-track, he would have made it onto the podium in the sprint. Then, unfortunately, the race was somewhat disastrous due to the weather. And after that, we went to Silverstone.”
The 2025 British Grand Prix marked Bezzecchi’s first victory of the season, a feat he would go on to replicate another two times before the year came to a conclusion.
“We worked a bit on the bike and also a lot with Marco, explaining to him what he needed to do on the motorcycle,” Sterlacchini added.
“And he was exceptional in that respect because he put in a lot of effort.”
A Marc Marquez beater?
Aprilia think Marco Bezzecchi can take another step up in 2026 and challenge Marc Marquez for the title
The 2025 MotoGP campaign certainly went a lot better than expected for Bezzecchi, who admitted he was ‘scared’ upon signing for Aprilia during the prior season.
It was the 27-year-old’s first gig at a factory team, having spent his first three seasons with the Ducati satellite team, VR46.
As well as it being Aprilia’s best performance in the constructors’ championship, it was also Bezzecchi’s most fruitful points tally in the premier class yet, as well as the Scorze-based constructor’s first time having a rider represent them in the top-three finishers in the standings.
Off the back of this, team boss Massimo Rivola is certain that Bezzecchi can challenge Marc Marquez for the title next year in a testament to the development of both Aprilia’s machinery and the Italian’s racecraft.
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