Marco Bezzecchi aiming for Aprilia MotoGP history at Portuguese GP

Marco Bezzecchi says it is “super cool” to be fighting for third in the 2025 MotoGP standings, as he aims to become the first Aprilia rider ever to do so.

The Italian brand has emerged in the second half of the season as Ducati’s biggest challenger, with Aprilia scoring two grand prix wins and three sprint victories so far this year.

Ahead of the penultimate round of the campaign, Marco Bezzecchi heads Pecco Bagnaia by five points in the battle for third in the standings.

If he ends the Portimao weekend with a lead of more than 37 points over Bagnaia, he will secure third with one round to spare.

Should he go on to complete the top three in the standings, Bezzecchi will become the first Aprilia rider in history to do so. Previously, the brand’s best finish was fourth with Aleix Espargaro in 2022.

“First of all, it’s super cool to be able at least to fight for it and be there with only two races to go,” he told the official MotoGP website.

“So, very happy for this. Now, we are in a position to fight, so we would love to try to achieve it.

“It will be a tough battle because Pecco is super strong, Pedro [Acosta] is also super strong. But I’m also quite strong. So, hopefully, we can try to fight until the end.”

The battle for third in the standings also features KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who is 31 points behind Bezzecchi.

However, the 21-year-old says this isn’t a target he is giving much thought to given his deficit and the slender amount of points up for grabs now.

“Not a lot,” he replied when asked if he was thinking about third in the championship.

“I think I’m still quite far. I’m 31 points [back] from 74 remaining.

“I’m not really thinking about it. Let’s see what’s happening after Portugal, and let’s see.

“At the end, I think I’m making a better season compared to last year.”