Marco Bezzecchi
Aprilia have just unveiled the MotoGP bike that they hope will end Ducati’s reign. Marco Bezzecchi may be the biggest threat to reigning world champion Marc Marquez.
Bezzecchi was arguably the standout rider on the grid after the summer break last year, a run that included two Grand Prix wins and three Sprint victories.
But Marquez was ruled out of the last four rounds after injuring his shoulder in a crash with Bezzecchi at the Indonesian GP. The absence of the toughest opponent may have artificially heightened Aprilia’s confidence.
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Jorge Martin arrived at Aprilia last year with the number one on his bike but hardly got to race with it as injuries wrecked his season. Bezzecchi has consequently emerged as the team leader and the man who could conquer the Ducati dynasty.
Massimo Rivola says Marco Bezzecchi ‘must learn’ to manage expectations
Massimo Rivola admits Aprilia’s true competitiveness is unknown because they peaked when Marquez was sidelined.
2025 was their best season since they returned to the premier class as a factory team, but that success brings with it the burden of expectation.
Rivola says Bezzecchi must learn to shoulder the added pressure if he wants to become a champion. He now has a top-three finish in every class but enters 2025 with grander objectives.
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“With a number 93 on track, honestly I don’t know,” he told GPOne when asked if Aprilia could beat Ducati. “Last year we won the final races, but Marc was not on track.
“We don’t know what work the other manufacturers have done during the winter. The benchmark remains them – we will do our best.
“We must have respect for everyone but fear no one, so the famous phrase that I already said when [Aleix] Espargaro won in Argentina remains the same: work and believe. That’s the only thing we have to do, remembering that we can be lions for everyone.
“[Expectations] are high, but you used a keyword which is expectation. Because expectation very often is what kills us. I am very curious to see how Marco will manage the expectations that are on him, because obviously, he won the last races and they are high.
“We don’t know what others have done this winter, but we know we worked very well. I think Marco, to make his final step, must learn to manage expectations – that will be one of the keys.
The moment Massimo Rivola realised Marco Bezzecchi could achieve ‘great things’ at Aprilia
The biggest tussle between Marquez and Bezzecchi in 2025 came at Misano, when both riders won a race.
The Ducati rider went down in the Sprint after battling Bezzecchi, but he struck back on Sunday. The final gap between the two riders was just 0.6 seconds.
After that race, Bezzecchi apologised to Rivola, and that was when the CEO realised they were on the path towards greatness.
He said: “At Misano he apologised to me for having finished second like that behind Marc… well, that is a sign that together we can do great things.”
Aprilia have opted for an ‘aggressive’ design this year, though there will be further evolution before the first tests in Malaysia.
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