Marco Bezzecchi
Massimo Rivola has hinted that change could be ‘beneficial’ for Francesco Bagnaia as he prepares to leave Ducati and join Aprilia in 2027.
While the move hasn’t been officially announced, it’s believed that Bagnaia has signed his Aprilia contract. It’s a four-year deal in total, though only the first two are guaranteed.
Bagnaia won back-to-back world championships in 2022 and 2023 and narrowly missed out on a threepeat against Jorge Martin the following year. However, he lost his way following the arrival of Marc Marquez and Ducati have opted to replace him with Pedro Acosta.
Massimo Rivola offers encouragement to Francesco Bagnaia before Aprilia move
While Rivola didn’t mention Bagnaia by name in his interview with Sky Italia, via Gazzetta dello Sport, he did express confidence in Aprilia’s ability to ‘revitalise’ riders.
Marco Bezzecchi had struggled in his final season at VR46, finishing 12th in the championship, but he has flourished into a potential world champion after joining Aprilia. Bezzecchi has won five races in a row, a feat only Marquez and Valentino Rossi have achieved in the modern era.
How will we talk about Francesco Bagnaia’s Aprilia move in five years?
As recently as 2024, it seemed unthinkable that Ducati would let Bagnaia, their only multiple world champion, leave without putting up a fight. But his perplexing drop-off on the GP25, which has bled into the current campaign, led them to conclude that Acosta would be a better option.
“Changes can be beneficial,” said Rivola. “After all, we’re happy to take on riders from other manufacturers and revitalise them.”
Aprilia saved Jorge Martin from ‘rash decision’ to join Honda
Bagnaia will replace Martin, who is heading to Yamaha to fill the vacancy left by Fabio Quartararo’s Honda move.
Ironically, Martin tried to join Honda himself last year in a contract saga that played out all too publicly.
Aprilia stood their ground when the Spaniard tried to activate a controversial exit clause, and Dorna ultimately sided with them.
- READ MORE: Aprilia ‘desperately hoping’ Marco Bezzecchi wins the MotoGP world championship over Jorge Martin
With Martin now second in the standings and a legitimate contender for the title, Rivola reflects that the team ‘saved him from a rash decision’.
“For us, Jorge represents a sort of successful gamble: despite all the problems, we’ve always believed in him,” Rivola said of his rider, who missed most of the 2025 season through injury.
“Martin’s carefree attitude is the product of Aprilia’s attitude, which didn’t abandon him in his time of suffering. Indeed, it supported him during his crisis, saving him from rash decisions.”
Bagnaia has signed for Aprilia at a time when they appear to be the benchmark in MotoGP, though it’s unclear if they will maintain that status under the new regulations.
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