Massimo Rivola has admitted that Aprilia has become the current reference bike everyone else must beat in MotoGP.
The Noale factory has clearly made a step from 2025 to 2026, with a run of five consecutive Grand Prix victories that began last year and has continued through the first three races of this season, all won by championship leader Marco Bezzecchi.
2024 MotoGP champion Jorge Martin also secured his first podiums for Aprilia Racing before claiming his first Sprint victory at Circuit of the Americas since leaving Pramac Racing, when the team ran Ducatis.
Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez secured another podium on the RS-GP at the season opener in Thailand, while Ai Ogura finished in the top six in every race bar Sunday at COTA following a mechanical failure.
These results have led team boss Rivola to claim the bike has become not just competitive, but the reference machine in the premier class.
“It’s clear that the bike is definitely performing well this year. I don’t want to be arrogant, but I’m not too surprised, in the sense that the numbers that told us the bike was competitive were there,” shared Rivola to Sky Italia.
“Day after day, I have to say that the bike is fast almost everywhere. It’s obvious, now we arrive at Jerez where many have tested, including us a little, and we’ll see where we are.
“At the moment, I feel like saying that the Aprilia is the benchmark bike.
“Maybe we’re not used to hearing that, but the numbers say that. And from here to saying whether we’re the favourites or not… we’re in front now, that’s enough.”
READ MORE – Marco Bezzecchi ‘wasn’t expecting’ Aprilia COTA dominance after ‘sad’ MotoGP Sprint crash
Discussion about this post