Aprilia reveals biggest surprise from Marco Bezzecchi’s 2025 MotoGP season

Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola admits he didn’t know Marco Bezzecchi “was such a great worker and team player” when he signed him for the 2025 MotoGP season.

The Italian was picked for the second factory Aprilia seat this year, after the manufacturer made its big-money move to sign Jorge Martin.

While Martin was expected to be Aprilia’s team leader in 2025, numerous injuries forced Marco Bezzecchi to shoulder that responsibility.

Bezzecchi won three grands prix on the RS-GP and finished third in the championship, regularly acting as Ducati’s biggest challenger in the second half of the campaign.

Massimo Rivola says he expected Bezzecchi to have speed, but was surprised at how much of a leader he became.

“I was expecting Marco to be very fast, actually,” he said.

“I didn’t know that he was such a great worker and team player. And I think these two aspects were the key for the results.

“For sure, he grew up in an impressive way…I’m not surprised in his growth.

“He became a leader without forcing himself to be a leader.

“The approach was, ‘let’s work, let’s grow, let’s continue’, and that was the simple way to do it: believe in the project and work. Those are the two key points”.

Bezzecchi’s three victories in 2025 saw him win a bet with Rivola, which stipulated he could keep his RS-GP if he achieved those results.

“I think he deserves the bike, and I think if someone like him keeps being like that, and I see no reason why he should change, I don’t know if there will be more bikes in his kitchen or wherever in his house!

“But he deserved that.”

Bezzecchi contributed to Aprilia’s best season ever in MotoGP, as it won four grands prix between the Italian and Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernandez.

Third is the highest an Aprilia rider has ever finished in the championship, while the brand also tallied up its best haul of podium finishes in a single campaign.

It ended the year second in the manufacturers’ standings behind Ducati.