MotoGP 2025’s biggest surprise could be Aprilia’s next franchise hero

There is not any level in dressing up this reality. Marco Bezzecchi has been signed because the quantity two rider for Aprilia’s manufacturing facility crew in 2025. In the course of the blockbuster summer season 2024 rider market shuffle attributable to Marc Marquez signing with Ducati’s manufacturing facility crew, his subsequent take care of Aprilia positioned Jorge Martin because the model’s subsequent ‘captain’.

This was a title beforehand held by Aleix Espargaro, who joined the model within the 2017 season and have become its first true franchise rider. For eight seasons, Espargaro spearheaded the event of the RS-GP, bringing Aprilia its first MotoGP podium (Silverstone 2021) and first win (Argentina 2022).

He was instrumental in convincing Maverick Vinales to signal with the model in mid-2021 after his relationship with Yamaha deteriorated past restore. And it was Espargaro who helped facilitate Martin’s 2025 contract with Aprilia.

Martin, who was main the championship with Pramac Ducati on the time, was tipped to be transferring to the Ducati manufacturing facility crew earlier than the U-turn, however in the end received the title that season. All through the winter, Martin and Aprilia downplayed their probabilities, however there was little doubt that this was a transfer seen as the ultimate piece for the Italian producer to actually start to compete for the world title.

Because the season attracts to a detailed, Martin has simply seven races left on the scorecards as a result of 4 main damage setbacks and the bags of a mid-year contract dispute, however his contract is greater than Aprilia has paid for any rider and he does not have a very good deadline.

Shortly after Martin put pen to paper at Aprilia final yr, CEO Massimo Rivola mentioned his precedence for successful the second seat was to retain Vinales. When he walked on, Enea Bastianini’s title was very closely linked with Vinales earlier than signing with Tech3 KTM.

The signing of Marco Bezzecchi appeared like a low-budget deal to get a confirmed Italian race winner on an Italian bike, however one which had but to actually make its mark within the premier class. Within the 2023 season, his second yr, he confirmed spectacular efficiency, successful three Grand Prix races and rising to 3rd place within the championship. Within the 2024 season, it struggled to outperform the GP23’s braking efficiency, with just one podium end.

There was little doubt that the No. 72 was a fantastic rider, however many earlier riders had confirmed themselves able to performing effectively on Ducati. It remained to be seen how he would adapt to the manufacturing facility crew surroundings and the way he would be capable to carry out on a motorbike that was the third finest on the grid on the time.

On the checkered flag of the Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon final weekend, with fireworks exploding over the Ricardo Tormo circuit, Bezzecchi celebrated his third win of the season, the place he has emerged as maybe Marc Marquez’s deadliest non-Ducati risk in 2026.

Valencia makes historical past for Bezzecchi, wins once more with Aprilia warning shot

The 2025 season will likely be Aprilia’s first yr. That is the primary season that they’ve completed second within the producers’ desk, 350 factors behind Ducati. With 4 Grand Prix wins, he’s the primary rider to have achieved probably the most podiums and, together with Bezzecchi, is the primary rider to complete inside the high three within the World Championship.

Valencia was additionally Aprilia’s first two matches. Due to Bezzecchi, he took back-to-back pole positions and received back-to-back Grands Prix. In the course of the month of November, RS-GP has by no means been within the lead on a Sunday.

Bezzecchi’s dash at Valencia didn’t go to script. The entrance holeshot system didn’t come off on the opening nook, inflicting him to fall down the order and lose his capability to battle for a podium spot.

Nonetheless, he had no such issues on the Grand Prix, taking the lead at Flip 1 and rapidly pulling Gresini’s Alex Marquez out of the sector. In tire administration races, the flowing RS-GP tends to have a bonus.

Alex Marquez suffered tire hassle early on, permitting Bezzecchi to journey his personal race. He did not drop to the 1:31 mark till lap 20, however he went on to document three extra 1:30s, and on the ultimate lap his tempo completely dropped to the 1:31 mark.

In one more shock, opposite to pre-season expectations, the rider who posed the best risk to Bezzecchi was trackhouse stableman Raul Fernandez. The Australian Grand Prix winner made a fantastic transfer, taking third place from VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio at Flip 6 on the third lap, then overtaking Marquez for the eleventh time on the Tour.

At this stage, Bezzecchi had cleared the race by greater than a second. Nonetheless, Fernandes’ tempo was relentless. Though he didn’t break 1 minute 31 seconds till the penultimate lap, his common tempo was barely sooner than Bezzecchi. Fernandes bought off to an excellent begin from 4th on the grid and was a giant risk for his second win of the season.

It was a powerful efficiency for the rider, who was compelled to overlook the Portuguese Grand Prix after partially dislocating his shoulder in a high-speed observe crash only a week in the past. Nonetheless, Bezzecchi “put a bit extra effort in some corners” and in the end stopped Fernandes from moving into vary.

On the checkered flag, the pair have been separated by simply 0.686 seconds, making for a surprisingly tense end to what regarded like a race over the center distance.

Aprilia and Bezzecchi’s excellent marriage

In the course of the cool-down lap, Bezzecchi jumped out of the RS-GP and proposed. He then defined that this was the fruits of a guess with Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola. Rivola mentioned successful three Grands Prix this season would preserve him on the bike for 2025.

It is an costly present for Aprilia, however price it for Rivola.

“Definitely the mixture of Marco and the crew was what made the distinction,” he mentioned. “Clearly it is him on the bike, however he has the crew behind him. I additionally assume the important thing will likely be to start out from the start of the season with Fabiano (Stelracchini, technical director) and construct a brand new Aprilia.”

From pre-season, Bezzecchi shocked Aprilia with how a lot he stepped as much as lead the crew when Jorge Martin was injured on the primary day of testing. His ends in the primary half of the yr weren’t too dangerous both, with two consecutive top-six finishes in Thailand and America.

Bezzecchi mentioned he was impressed with the bike throughout the Jerez check. To start with, the important thing difficulty with the 2025 RS-GP was stability underneath braking. Aprilia was in a position to remedy this downside with various changes with out dropping the bike’s strengths, however it wasn’t at all times doable.

The British Grand Prix was an early reward for all that effort, however since Assen Bezzecchi has completed on the rostrum in dash or predominant races ten instances. Unquestionably, Aprilia has by no means been so steady.

There may be additionally the caveat that Aprilia’s type on the finish of the season coincides with Marc Marquez’s absence as a result of damage. The reigning champion has had a robust efficiency with Ducati this yr, however there may be little doubt that he will be unable to return to the title once more in 2026.

However Aprilia can actually begin dreaming large. And far of that’s because of Bezzecchi, who has developed into a wonderful manufacturing facility MotoGP rider who is barely simply starting to succeed in his prime.

There isn’t a doubt that talks will happen this winter between the Aprilia administration and Bezzecchi concerning a brand new contract for 2027. Rivola mentioned it was a “precedence” in Valencia. And with Bezzecchi, Aprilia has a possible franchise rider, a job maybe envisioned by Martin ultimately yr’s Italian Grand Prix.

Who would have thought that over a yr in the past?