Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola has admitted he’s “a bit of dissatisfied” that Aprilia was unable to safe a “high title sponsor” for the 2026 MotoGP season, regardless of having had its greatest 12 months ever.
The Noale-based model reached new heights in MotoGP in 2025, with 4 Grand Prix wins between its two groups and a runner-up end within the constructors’ standings for the primary time.
Moreover, Marco Bezzecchi emerged within the second half of the season to emerge as a daily risk to Marc Marquez, who gained the title in his personal proper, and for the primary time ever managed to interrupt into the highest three within the Riders’ Championship.
All of this positions Aprilia as a model to look at because the 2026 season approaches and the ultimate 12 months of the 1000cc regulation begins.
Nevertheless, in RS-GP, he’ll as soon as once more compete for the world title with Ducati and not using a title sponsor.
Aprilia enjoys robust assist from proprietor Piaggi Group, however is the one manufacturing facility staff on the grid and not using a title accomplice. Ducati has Lenovo, KTM has Pink Bull, Yamaha has Monster Vitality, whereas Honda is at the moment backed by Castrol following the tip of its partnership with Repsol.
Talking at Aprilia’s launch occasion in Milan on Thursday, chief government Massimo Rivola stated it was disappointing to not safe a “high title sponsor” for 2026, suggesting that maybe the corporate’s industrial ambitions had been clouded by the end result.
“Expectations are often what kill us,” he started. “We now have gained the final two races, however possibly we forgot that Marc Marquez isn’t there. I’m very to see Marco, as a result of he has excessive expectations for himself, so we have to handle that. Expectations for the championship are excessive.”
“I feel when you begin believing in a mission, it doesn’t matter what path it takes, so long as you share it with folks, will probably be profitable.
“In the long run, it is the those that make the distinction. Finally, if our companions consider in what we do, I feel we will proceed to get nice sponsors like we now have now. To be trustworthy, I do not wish to say I used to be stunned, however I am a bit of dissatisfied that we could not get a high title sponsor.”
“Thankfully, we had the Piaggio Group and so they saved us. However sometime I would prefer to name[my boss]and inform him I discovered $10 million within the finances.”
Aprilia’s 2026 MotoGP livery will once more be with out title sponsor
© Aprilia Racing
Aprilia’s sponsorship state of affairs highlights MotoGP’s low industrial worth
Rivola learn between the traces and clearly anticipated to have the ability to enter the market in a good place based mostly on Aprilia’s efficiency. However in comparison with what Ducati’s manufacturing facility staff achieved in 2025, with 13 Grand Prix wins and a sweep of all three titles, Aprilia’s 12 months was a drop within the ocean.
However Aprilia was additionally caught up within the present industrial pursuits that MotoGP can now command.
There’s a number of noise about Liberty Media taking up the championship and the way they will replicate what they’ve carried out in F1 to enhance the well being of the sequence, but it surely’s not an in a single day course of.
From a industrial worth perspective, the hill Liberty has to climb to raise MotoGP into the realm of the world’s main sporting championships is steep. That’s clear from the sale worth of MotoGP, which Liberty paid 4.2 billion euros for. As of January 2026, F1’s market capitalization was £16.91 billion, with annual income in 2025 exceeding £3 billion.
Curiosity from exterior traders is evident. The acquisition of Tech3 by a consortium led by former Haas F1 staff principal Günter Steiner is proof of this. Nevertheless, Tech3 was acquired for 20 million euros. Final 12 months, Tech3 was the ninth greatest staff out of 11 groups on the grid.
Against this, F1’s least useful staff is Haas (ranked eighth), with a worth of $1.5 billion and income of $150 million. forbes. Ferrari is probably the most useful firm on the grid, at $6.5 billion, producing income of $670 million, regardless of restricted current success.
Rivola, who has labored in F1 together with Ferrari, has a deep understanding of the industrial panorama of motorsport. So far as he’s involved, he believes that each one the present manufacturers collaborating in MotoGP must work tougher to develop into extra enticing.
When requested why MotoGP doesn’t generate vital industrial demand, Aprilia’s CEO replied: “The reply could be very lengthy.” “In brief, I feel the result’s that the extent of the MotoGP model, and I feel it’ll proceed to be, has not been capable of take a step up from the F1 model.
“The funding that has been made in F1 has been large. I do not suppose there may be any want to repeat and paste what has been carried out in F1. MotoGP has its character and I feel it wants to take care of that. However when it comes to the model, all of us want to lift the bar. Riders nonetheless should be used as ambassadors to advertise one of the best present on this planet.”
Günther Steiner is a serious F1 title investing in MotoGP
MotoGP wants to extend its provide to industrial companions
Rivola’s level about riders getting used as ambassadors is spot on. One among Liberty’s largest success tales with F1 has been rising the sequence to an informal viewers by means of Netflix. Drive to outlive.
Now, at any time when this instance is given, it is very important warning: Liberty has been extremely lucky throughout the world coronavirus pandemic. That pandemic stored everybody indoors and prompted folks to devour extra new media than ordinary.
That stated, Liberty’s willingness to make such a product out there from the start reveals how essential the mission was to Liberty. MotoGP tried to recreate this with their very own model, but it surely was limp and uninspiring.
success of drive to outlive It isn’t the race itself, however the human ingredient that has made the drivers and paddock employees well-known. Günter Steiner is one such success story and his entry into MotoGP will undoubtedly convey new consideration to the championship.
Principally, MotoGP has but to discover a approach to enhance the visibility of its riders. Other than Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez, the remainder of the grid would not tick too far for these exterior the MotoGP bubble. Dorna’s personal social media content material, which for the time being solely seems to be imitating F1, isn’t doing sufficient to vary this example.
what drive to outlive It additionally helped make F1 an aspirational model. Followers of something do not wish to hear this, however that is the unlucky actuality of our society. A real fan isn’t a die-hard fan for all times. These are informal folks with loads of disposable earnings who’re glad to purchase something a model is promoting.
One have a look at F1 automobile sponsors and MotoGP bike sponsors and you will see why the latter isn’t a industrial powerhouse. Even the present staff startup interval is proof of this. Aprilia, no small model, held its staff launch at Sky’s Italian studio, whereas new F1 staff Cadillac’s 2026 livery can be unveiled throughout the Tremendous Bowl.
Modifications to the paddock are at the moment underway, for higher or worse. A brand new VIP space was arrange for races later final 12 months, whereas MotoGP groups could have bigger storage house as an alternative of storing their Moto2 and Moto3 outfits in separate places.
Now, MotoGP needs to be cautious to not go too far with all of its historical past. However, as Rivola factors out, MotoGP groups want extra storage house for sponsors. Final 12 months at Misano, I used to be fortunate sufficient to be invited by Lenovo, one of many grid’s few really essential main sponsors, to their Ducati storage for a dash. Nevertheless, the viewing space is certainly not massive in comparison with what F1 groups can do for high-ranking officers.
“We’re in discussions with Dorna about once we can have extra space within the storage to realize a greater format and supply higher visibility for our sponsors,” Rivola defined.
“However I feel it is a work in progress. Perhaps in 2027 every little thing can be new, not solely when it comes to bikes and tires, but in addition when it comes to the paddock. We do not know. Definitely, in current months Dorna has began to push in the direction of making MotoGP an increasing number of useful as a model, and clearly the paddock is a serious a part of that.”
The grueling calendar schedule is impacting everybody within the paddock.
© Gold & Goose
Sponsorship is essential to sustaining MotoGP’s grueling calendar schedule
As what you are promoting grows, you must attain new folks and markets. Final 12 months’s MotoGP calendar spanned 22 races, making it the longest in historical past. Along with that, there can be sprints in each occasion, bringing the entire variety of races as much as 44.
With 44 races held over 22 weekends from the tip of February to mid-November, in addition to two pre-season checks, a number of days of in-season testing and, within the case of concession groups, personal testing, it’s a large burden for everybody concerned.
In some ways, MotoGP is doing greater than this calendar format could make sense of. Final 12 months, solely two occasions had the total full-time grid collaborating. Accidents and a demanding schedule now make it almost unimaginable to finish a season with out having to have a number of substitute riders each spherical.
The danger of damage in MotoGP is greater than in F1 and it’s all the time unavoidable. Nonetheless, it’s tough to nominate a rider who has missed a number of races as an envoy.
Given the expansion of F1’s calendar, Rivola believes that MotoGP beneath Liberty can be no totally different. Nevertheless, the distinction between F1 and MotoGP is that the latter groups can have rotating groups of mechanics to cut back the personnel burden. Though MotoGP observe operations are small, there may be at the moment not sufficient income for groups to basically rent an extra crew per rider.
“I hope it’s lower than (22 rounds),” he stated. “I do not suppose it is going to be any much less, particularly with the Liberty developing, as a result of clearly the present is what makes the cash. So far as rising the extent of enterprise, I feel we will cowl 22 races with the variety of checks we’re doing now.”
“Perhaps the answer is to dramatically cut back testing. The rationale I say that’s as a result of in F1 we’re hiring extra mechanics and engineers and we’re beginning to rotate them. Perhaps folks like me and Fabiano[Streracchini]We could have some issues, no less than two of us, not everybody. However we have to elevate the extent of enterprise in MotoGP and we’ll discover a answer, I do not wish to say will probably be simple, however will probably be solved ultimately.”
“We completely want earnings. Sponsors. So long as the highest sponsors take part in MotoGP, we as a model can earn money as MotoGP.”
