The end of the 2025 MotoGP season saw an unprecedented level of form from Aprilia, a manufacturer once seen as the championship’s perennial underdog. Aprilia’s run at the end of the campaign saw four victories, including the first for its satellite team Trackhouse. Courtesy of Marco Bezzecchi, the Noale-based factory picked up its first back-to-back MotoGP wins, which also confirmed its highest-ever finish with a rider in the standings.
Fittingly, MotoGP action in 2025 ended with Aprilia on top once more, as Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez led Bezzecchi to a 1-2 at the post-season Valencia test. While testing often means nothing and can set false expectations for the new year, it only added speculation to the one question that everybody has been wondering since Mandalika – can Aprilia actually challenge Ducati for the MotoGP title in 2026?
Before looking at just how likely it is for Aprilia to challenge Ducati in 2026, it’s important to understand just how massive Aprilia’s performance shift in 2025 was. Though recent seasons have virtually guaranteed victories for the Italian manufacturer at selected tracks, even this looked like a distant dream at the start of the decade.
Aprilia had starting improving during the Covid pandemic, and most of this was down to bringing in Massimo Rivola as CEO which allowed a new-found structure to be added to the race department in Noale. With Rivola’s experience in Ferrari’s development programme, he also added the stability that had been missing from the Italian manufacturer, who had been chopping and changing one half of the garage whilst persisting with Aleix Espargaro on the other.
Though the incline was slow, it was also steady. In 2022, Aprilia became a factory team for the first time in 18 years, and to immediate success. Espargaro finished fourth in the riders’ standings and claimed the manufacturer’s first-ever MotoGP victory at Argentina. The lineup of Espargaro and Maverick Vinales led the manufacturer to improve year-on-year with the exception of 2024 – though this was more as a result of Ducati’s GP24 dominance than a reflection of Aprilia going backwards.
With this consistent progress, It was almost inevitable that Aprilia would take it to that next level, but it just needed that little bit extra to unlock it. 2025 saw both Vinales and Espargaro leave the project along with satellite rider Miguel Oliveira, while three new riders and a brand new Technical Director were brought in. One of these changes in particular, was the key to unlocking the RS-GP’s potential, according to Rivola.
“Definitely the combination of Bezzecchi and the team was the key,” Rivola said via GPOne.
“I don’t know if this also helped Fernandez, but Marco proved crucial. After all, he is the one riding the bike, however, the team behind him and what he did with [Fabiano] Sterlacchini at the beginning of the year to build the new Aprilia should not be forgotten.”
Bezzecchi had joined Aprilia bereft of confidence after a difficult 2024 season, but transformed into the project’s leader after World Champion Jorge Martin suffered serious injuries throughout the first half of the season. The Italian grappled with the RS-GP throughout the opening six races and earned a best result of sixth at Le Mans, while rookie Ai Ogura earned fifth on his debut at Buriram and Fernandez also featured inside the top 10 in the opening rounds. Though these results were not enough to stop Martin pushing for an early exit from his Aprilia contract, the manufacturer eventually proved why he should have stayed put.
Bezzecchi started to improve in the same week as Martin announced his intentions to leave Aprilia at the end of the 2025 campaign. After taking victory in Silverstone – albeit in mitigating circumstances – the Italian rider rounded out the European swing with five podiums, a Sprint victory and consistently looked to be the fastest rider on circuit whose surname wasn’t Marquez.
It wasn’t just Bezzecchi honing the RS-GP package, as both Trackhouse riders added vital points and information. Fernandez went on a seven-race points scoring streak after Silverstone, while rookie Ogura managed to take points in every race he finished despite encountering his own injury struggles at the midway point of the campaign. Even Martin upon his return was not met with hostility and instead was rehabilitated into Aprilia’s lineup, with his fourth place at Balaton Park the highlight of a season completely derailed by injuries.
Traditionally Aprilia struggled at the flyaway rounds, and it looked as if that run was going to continue at Motegi. Bezzecchi and Martin started the weekend catastrophically after the 2024 World Champion crashed into his team-mate in the first corner of the Motegi Sprint – leaving Bezzecchi in pain and unable to perform in the main race and Martin forced into another spell on the sidelines. Ogura’s withdrawal for Trackhouse meant Fernandez was its front runner in Japan, and a seventh place despite the catastrophic weekend for his counterparts was a salvation.
Then, its fortunes changed considerably.
Bezzecchi won the Sprint race in Mandalika and looked set to dominate the main race before he crashed into Marc Marquez, which ended both riders’ race and saw the World Champion’s season brought to a close. With an absent Marquez, the remaining races were thrown wide open and this was when Aprilia struck.
Fernandez was able to pick up the pieces following Bezzecchi’s double long lap for the Marquez incident, as the Spaniard claimed his maiden MotoGP victory at Phillip Island. Bezzecchi himself was able to finish on the podium despite his penalty, as was the pace of his Aprilia package and Ogura scored points on his injury return.
In Sepang, Aprilia found itself stuck in weekend reminiscent of its usual flyaway form, though Fernandez still proved to be the shining light. The return to Europe for the final two rounds saw a previously unseen level of dominance, with Bezzecchi taking back-to-back victories in Portimao and Valencia, while Fernandez secured a 1-2 in the final round. Ogura earned points in three successive races before retiring in Valencia, while Martin showed flourishes in the season finale despite withdrawing midway through the season finale.
Four wins and a further seven podiums for the manufacturer capped off its best MotoGP season to date, something that new Technical Director Sterlacchini admitted was unexpected at the start of the year.
“To be honest it’s a bit more [than expected],” Sterlacchini said in Valencia. “For me, it was reasonable with the riders that we have, without any issues, to fight within the top five in the riders championship and try to be the second manufacturer. At the end, we probably over-reached our target so this is really good and better than what we expected.”
“There is just one way to increase your performance, it’s to increase your performance compared to your previous bike. So, honestly, we are looking to our level now because it’s super important that in 2026 we start at least at the same level that we ended the season.”
But just how likely is it that Aprilia can increase that level?
Firstly, the quartet of riders Aprilia has at its disposal are among the best in the business, and have proven themselves to be such in 2025.
Bezzecchi’s end of season form was imperious, to put it lightly. A rider that was once known for his consistency in the junior classes finally found his groove in MotoGP and looked to be the only rider that could actually challenge Marquez. While Bezzecchi found himself coming out second best in their duels in Austria and Misano, he would have learned plenty from each battle and may find himself with the upper hand in permitting circumstances. Regardless, the Italian is in good stead going into the new campaign and Rivola admitted re-signing him will be “the priority” ahead of the 2027 rider market.
A fully fit Martin has the potential to be one of the most dangerous riders on the grid and poses a real threat to Ducati. Though there is plenty of work to be done to get the Spaniard back into his title-contending form of 2023 and 2024, there were also flourishes in the few races he did take part in. Equally, Martin will be chomping at the bit to race against the manufacturer that decided he wasn’t what it was looking for to fulfill its factory team – something which could be to its detriment should Aprilia keep improving into 2026.
Fernandez looked to be building momentum in the latter half of 2025 which was akin to the form he found en-route to the best-ever rookie campaign in Moto2 history. Once a rider who’s future consistently looked in doubt, the Mandalika-Phillip Island double reinvigorated Fernandez and instilled a newfound level of confidence that could make him a big podium threat in 2026
Similarly, Ogura proved exactly why Davide Brivio and Trackhouse elected to sign him by putting together a very impressive rookie season – albeit blighted by injuries midway through. Now with the experience of MotoGP machinery and an almost full-season with his new team, the Japanese rider has all the potential to unlock the traits that made him a consistent front-runner in Moto2.
Aprilia has also proven it is not willing to stay stagnant despite being the manufacturer to beat and is prepared to take risks to improve its package. Both factory riders tested some radical aerodynamics and fairing upgrades in Valencia, which allowed them to improve throughout the day of testing.
Technical Director Sterlacchini emphasised that Aprilia needed to continue the progress it had made on the RS-GP25, but had already taken steps to continue its progress and aide former World Champion Martin ahead of a crucial 2026 season.
“We tried several new features, both in terms of aerodynamics and fairing,” said Sterlacchini after the Valencia test. “With Martin in particular, we made more radical changes to those that can be implemented in a race weekend with a view to next season. In general we have shown great progress and have come closer to the others.
“Looking at the performance of the competition, both KTM with Acosta and Honda with Mir and at times Marini have shown growth, which means that we have to compare ourselves to not only Ducati but also with the other manufacturers. As said, though, the benchmark is our current bike.”
However, here’s also the potential that Aprilia might not even be the biggest factor when it comes to its 2026 fate. Instead, it is entirely possible that Ducati simply continues the regression that we saw in the second half of the 2025 season that allows the Noale-factory the opportunity to take the top spot.
Although Gigi Dall’Igna likely has one eye on the 2027 regulation changes, there will be an incentive within the Ducati hierarchy to continue its dominant streak. While it is still in a position to win all three championships, it cannot be understated how unlikely it is that the Bologna-based manufacturer returns to the same heights it did in 2023 and 2024.
In fact, everything looks set for Aprilia to be title challengers in 2026 – until you factor in one problem: nine-time World Champion and arguably the best rider the sport has ever seen, Marc Marquez.
While Marquez may still feel the effects of the shoulder injury he picked up after Mandalika – and may be less willing to push himself to the maximum as a result – the fact of the matter is Marc Marquez is a class above the rest of the field, injured or not. He proved just that on his road to a ninth world title, and dare it be suggested that he will come out all guns blazing in the Buriram season opener in his hunt for a tenth.
Rivola himself even admitted that Aprilia’s end-of-season dominance was in part due to the championship missing Marquez. When asked whether the Italian manufacturer had become the ones to beat, Rivola said: “It cannot be forgotten that there was no Marc Marquez. Having said that, Bezzecchi was the fastest rider, although as far as I’m concerned I was also impressed by [Pedro] Acosta, while Alex Marquez proved to be really consistent. So in a hypothetical mini-championship, these riders would be the main contenders for the title.”
Bezzecchi added to Rivola’s sentiments that Marquez remains the “benchmark” in MotoGP, but the Italian revealed that he thinks even the Spaniard can be beaten.
“I see him as a benchmark, as the best rider right now, that’s for sure,” Bezzecchi said. “He won the World Championship with a five-race lead, it couldn’t be any other way. We both crashed in Indonesia, and that meant the end of the season didn’t go as I’d hoped, because I would have loved to keep battling with him and try to beat him in a duel.”
“But if you leave home thinking that the best result you can achieve is second place, you’re mistaken. It’s right to recognize that he’s a great champion, but it’s equally right to believe in yourself. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but just a little: you have to believe in your own abilities to then be able to give your best in the race. Obviously, it’s not easy, because facing the entire field, we know they are the best riders in the world. But to compete with them, you have to believe in yourself.”
However, if Francesco Bagnaia’s woeful 2025 form continues, and the GP26 machinery faces similar issues to the GP25, Marquez will have to take on Ducati’s challengers all on his own. While this is not unfamiliar territory for the nine-time World Champion, it ultimately looks as if Aprilia will be the benefactors if the Spaniard slips up.
Although Marquez looked untouchable and decimated his counterparts for the early stages of the season, there were still occasions where he looked beatable. With an in-form Bezzecchi and Fernandez at the helm, an Ogura who now understands what it takes to be a MotoGP rider, as well as a fully fit and adapted Martin, there is no reason why Aprilia won’t progress even further and become the successors to Ducati’s reign of terror.
Discussion about this post